BonBons and BooBoos

A Dickens Christmas Letter

2009-12-07T19:57:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the annual Dickens Christmas update! I hope this letter finds you and your family doing well this holiday season. In the interest of saving trees and time this year, I decided my blog would be the best place to share what is happening in our little part of the world.

Usually writing comes fairly easy to me, but I must admit I struggle with my Christmas letter. I find it extremely hard to neatly summarize a year's worth of life. In any given year we of course have our share of ups but also our share of downs. There is also a lot of chaos but also a lot of calm. How do I take all of that and sum it up into one neat little package? I haven't figured it out yet, but if anyone ever does, please let me in on the secret. In the meantime, I have decided to do the best I can.....

This year was that typical year I described - a huge helping of chaos with a side of calm. Jessie's schedule was extremely intense with his third year rotations starting our year off. He was working 80 to 100 hour (at least) weeks. The summer led him to an away rotation in Denver where he spent the month of July. The kids and I stayed in Dallas and pursued numerous traditional summer activities such as summer camps, swim lessons, and being lazy. Jessie can currently be found in almost any airport in the United States as he travels for interviews. Yes, that is correct, we are at the point some might call a "real" job. In a few short months, June 7th to be exact, Jessie will be a full-fledged M.D. We are very excited at finally reaching the goal we have been working towards for the past several years. I am extremely proud of Jessie for all his hard work and smartness.

After years of preparing for medical school and then actually attending medical school, where do we go from here? Our fate will be sealed on March 18th, 2010. This is the date that all fourth year medical students gather and open up their official letter informing them of where they have been selected to go. It is a match system, so we can request certain places but there are no guarantees. Jessie has interviews across the country: Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Lubbock, Temple, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Austin, Wichita, Louisville, Lexington, Omaha, Columbus, Wichita, St. Louis, Winston-Salem, Knoxville, Roanoke, Spartenburg, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Denver, Madison, Little Rock, Birmingham and some cities I have probably missed. If you have any personal information on these places, please send it my way. I would love to hear what it is like to live somewhere else. We have both grown up in Texas, so it is difficult for us to imagine living somewhere else. People ask me where we would like to end up. Part of us wants to stay here but part of us wants to experience something new. We have decided we will just put the decision in God's hands and enjoy the ride.

The interviews have brought a lot of headaches as far as travel nightmares for Jessie and just the sheer organization; however, one good thing has come out of them - a family vacation. It has been a couple of years since our last vacation, so we decided it was time for another one. Jessie had an interview in Salt Lake City before Thanksgiving, so the rest of us tagged along for some skiing. The kids loved skiing and they loved swimming in the heated pool even more. There's nothing like toting 100 pounds of luggage and two kids across the country to have them exclaim that "the pool is the best thing" about the vacation. Last time I checked we have pools here. Oh well, it is the experience and memories - right??

{Warning: Bragging Ahead...}

Ashley is in first grade this year. She loves school and continues to be amazing at reading and math. She also started piano lessons this year and has picked it up very quickly. I have really enjoyed listening to her play Christmas carols on our piano. It has always been my dream to have someone around here play carols for us on Christmas Eve and I think this year is "the year."

In an effort to remedy my lack of childhood athleticism, I enrolled Ashley in soccer this past Spring. This did not go very well. She did not like sweating on warm days and being cold on cooler days. Actually, I found that there was no perfect temperature for her, even if it was a beautiful 78 degrees outside. So, her soccer career quickly ended. Tennis proved to be a much better sport for her, as long as it was played on an indoor court (obviously for the climate control). Dance classes still top her list of favorites. This past year she did an adorable recital routine to "Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins. We were then fortunate enough to go see the Broadway production of Mary Poppins and Ashley was mesmerized. Finally, she loved learning to ride her bike (without training wheels) this year. After a lot of practice, she is now a great rider. I can't wait for Landen to learn how to ride his big bike, so we can start riding as a family. Ashley continues to be a super sweet, caring and helpful little girl. I feel blessed every day.

Landen is now 3 and continues to be our little wild man. He never stops talking or moving. He loves anything with sports and begs Jessie to play football with him. We were able to sign him up for soccer this fall, which was a lot of fun. His soccer adventure went a little better than Ashley's. Each game Landen would score almost all of the goals for his team. Even his assistant coach (who was a former pro soccer player) told Landen he had "the gift." I thought he was referring to the gift Landen has of pushing my buttons but it turns out he has a "soccer gift." Honestly, I think his coach just had a soft spot for Landen because one day after practice Landen gave him a big hug and thanked him for teaching him soccer. That would be another one of Landen's "gifts" he can be quite the charmer when he wants to be. I think that will take him farther than a soccer gift, but Jessie is still anxiously waiting to see if the "football gift" is going to go anywhere.

Landen also has an amazing "gift" of asking questions. I get all sorts of challenging ones every day like, "What happens if your head freezes?" or "What happens if a fire station is on fire?" He is curious about everything and can never get enough knowledge. Building is still a great hobby of his and he is always helping Jessie with his household projects. Despite all his wildness, Landen is very sweet, helpful and makes us laugh every day.

As for myself, I have once again retired. It turns out there is plenty to do around here....imagine that! Going back to work was a great experience, but it made me appreciate being at home for now. I enjoy the extra time I am getting with Landen and being able to go have lunch with Ashley at school whenever I want. I did manage to complete all my requirements to renew my teaching certificate so I do still see myself teaching (or doing something) in these next couple of years. I just want to wait and see what happens with Jessie's interviews until I commit to anything.

That pretty much sums us up. The Cliffs notes version of the Dickens. Just like Cliffs notes don't live up to a book, my letter does not live up to our year. It feels like a lot is missing - those ups, those downs, the laughter, and of course the tears. It was all there, even if it was missing from the words of my letter. We had it all, so in that respect it was a good year. Now we are ready for our next adventure and are thrilled that each one of you are in our lives to share it with us. We hope you have a blessed holiday season and a wonderful 2010!!

P.S. If you have never visited my blog, feel free to catch up on what we have been doing these past couple of years. If you do read my blog, I hope you enjoy by semi-annual post. Hopefully, this will inspire me to post more often.

HELLO, HELlo, HEllo, Hello, hello........??

2009-07-26T19:27:00.001-07:00

In case you are a little confused, my title is an attempt at an echo. I think it lost a little something in translation. The point I am trying to make is - Hello, is anyone out there??? My last post was in March and last I checked it was July. After such a long absence I don't know who would still be reading, but my counter still sends me daily reports of activity. Who are you people? I don't think I know anyone in Zimbabwe, but that is what the statistic report says. Whoever you are, thank you for still reading and standing by me and my skimpy blog posts. Now on to business.

There is too much to write after a long absence, so today I am choosing my favorite blog writing technique, random thoughts by bullet points.......

Last week I had something very lucky happen to me. I had the chance to see the spread of communicable disease in action. Over the period of three days, I witnessed a stomach bug be passed from one member of my family to the next. Yes, by the third day little A, little man and myself, all contracted the same super fun stomach virus. It was even more fun to be the only adult at home who could clean up the MANY lovely messes made from this bug. People, you can't buy excitement like this, so go on and be jealous.
In the past two weeks Ashley has lost THREE teeth. She had previously lost two last summer, so we are on a total of five teeth. On this new batch, she pulled out two all by herself and lost the last one tonight while eating corn on the cob (you know, the old fashioned way to pull a tooth, or country way, whichever you prefer. We were in the country eating the cob, so I guess we will go with the country way). In the first incident the tooth fairy only had a 5 dollar bill on her and couldn't leave the house, so little A really raked it in for a 6 year old. After getting the hang of having a little money, she seems to be pulling these teeth out left and right.
Why are golf carts so much fun? Personally, I love the feeling of wind in your hair and a little speed underneath you. We now have a cart in the family and it is just so much fun. J's parents bought one to drive around their ranch and I could ride in that thing all day. She let the kids drive it this weekend. Just a little scary when your babies ask to take you for a spin.
Since the previously mentioned grandparents had the children for the night I had some girl time with my friend, Michelle. We went dancing. Now I know why I weighed a little less in college. Every weekend I would go dancing with friends and dance for hours. That is not the way it works anymore. My entire body was sore after a couple of hours and I mean sore. Of course we were dancing to an 80's cover band, hence we were not just dancing but DAAAANCING. It is still a little sad to me when a lady who looks to be my mom's age can dance circles around me on the floor. What happened to my 21 year old boogie down self? Oh yeah, I got lazy.
Speaking of the big girls night out; just a little note to all of you who hope to get a pedi in Grapevine, TX. It is not going to happen past 4 pm. Apparently, it must be an understood law that all nail salons must close early there. A little disappointing, until I remembered how much you get stepped on when dancing. Good idea to put the pedi on hold.
There are some great shows on right now. My DVR is overflowing and it feels so good. Some things I am watching (in case you want to be hip like me): So You Think You Can Dance (of course), Tori and Dean Home Sweet Hollywood, Denise Richards' reality show, 18 and Counting, NYC prep, Kathy Griffin's reality show, and Running in Heels (just discovered today on Style network, awesome show about interns at Marie Claire). Yep, it is all reality shows, I figure the regular season is for my quality, scripted shows and the summer is for my trashy, guilty pleasures.
When did circus tickets get so expensive? I already knew this from going to to the circus with J before we had children. He paid over $100 for out tickets, which I thought was ridiculous at the time but did not even fathom how much two extra people would add on to that amount. I guess I am being a little biased. After all, if you would like to spend $15 per ticket you are more than welcome to sit in a section that I think might be close to the altitude that planes fly at. So, if nosebleeds and lower oxygen intake are not a problem, these would work great. And let's not even get into how much snacks and junky toys are going to cost me. Even with all of this, I am still super excited to go this week.
Little man is afraid of lifeguards. Just a little something interesting I can file away for future reference. The whistle is what turned the friendly pool helper into an image of terror for the little guy. What is most interesting about this to me is the fact that Landen will blow a whistle in my ear all day long without flinching, but a lifeguard blows a whistle one time while we are at a pool and nightmares ensue. I am seeing a future horror movie from this.
Speaking of pools - my children can swim now!! (Loud applause please). At the beginning of summer, Little A would scream when we washed her hair, now both kids are swimming under water like fish. I thought it would never happen, thank you , thank you swim lessons.
Another huge accomplishment this summer - The kids are no longer afraid of dogs (another loud applause may commence). If you know my kids you know that their fear was more pure terror than a little fear, so this is HUGE. As Landen told my neighbor "We are no longer mad at dogs, just a little shy of them."
And finally one more achievement......drumroll please......Little A is no longer afraid of costumed characters! We have waited for this day for so long. After many agonizing trips to events that involved these creatures we can now attend things breathing a little easier. It was just 6 years in the making, but we are finally past it, I think. Now I can plan our Disney trip with a peace of mind.

So, that is just a little snapshot of our summer. Did I leave you hanging for a little more info - like, "where is J?", "what did he decide to do?", "what camps have the kids been in", I know it is just too much. I guess you will just have to keep checking back and maybe I will have another post, or maybe not.

Happy Birthday My Sweet Little Man!

2009-03-26T19:42:00.001-07:00

When do things start seeming real? Time is just passing so quickly for me. I sometimes feel as though I am just flying by my own life and merely waving in the distance. Little man turned 3 today and I am just in disbelief. Of course at many times, these past three years have felt like the longest years of my life, but I blinked and here we are.

Landen continues to have a larger than life personality. It is amazing how much he has grown this past year. My life has suddenly gotten so much easier because he is so much more independent. With that independence also comes that strong-willed personality he has had since he was a baby. The boy came out screaming and he will still let you know exactly what his feelings are at any time or place. He is also still extremely loving and sweet. He hugs and kisses on all of us all the time. Just the other day I hit my elbow on something and yelled "Ouch!" he ran over hugged me and asked "are you ok Mommy?" He had such a tone of empathy and sweetness it made me feel instantly ok. When our fish died a couple of weeks ago Ashley started crying and again he ran over to her. He started hugging on her and said, "It is ok Ashley, I am here for you." I am not making that up or embellishing the story. He really said exactly that. I couldn't believe it and my tears started rolling. Not over the silly fish, but over my little boy getting to be so big.

He also continues to be a clown and makes us laugh all the time. At school he is also quite the personality. He loves all of his friends and his teacher has told me that all the kids claim him as their "favorite" friend. Today for his birthday he told me that all of his friends gave him a birthday hug and he just beamed. Well, I could obviously go on and on about my baby boy, he is truly one of the loves of my life and I am so lucky to have him (wildness and all).

Last year in his special birthday post I listed his favorite things. As I read over the list I was a little shocked at how much he has stayed the same in some of his likes, but I thought it would be fun to do the list again. As my mommy memory disintegrates daily, I need these yearly reminders.

Favorite color: Last year he was a pink and purple man, he has moved on to green. I think J is very happy about this.

Favorite food: Nuggets and french fries. If a restaurant does not have these items he will loudly proclaim his displeasure. Luckily, he will eat the "all veggie" nuggets at home, so at least I can fool him into healthiness sometimes. He also loves oranges, hot dogs, muffins, cinnamon rolls, donuts and anything sweet. Eating is still not his strong point. He will literally go two or three days without eating anything.

Favorite Drink: Sadly, if he had a choice it would be Dr. Pepper. He may not look a thing like me, but he obviously inherited my fine taste in beverages.

Favorite toys: He loves trains, cars and trucks. Playing on the computer is also a big thing for him to do. He also loves drawing, doing play-doh, cutting paper, building with Legos and taking things apart.

Favorite parent: Last year it was Daddy, this year it is me. That's right ME! My brainwashing worked.

Favorite books: He has two books in particular that he loves, a train book and a fire truck book. I can't stand either one of them because it is just a bunch of pictures labeled and he insists on telling me each one. It is torture after reading it a thousand times (at least!)

Favorite movie/tv show: He watches tv this year, which is a big thing for him. The only thing he asks to watch is Caillou but he will watch most things that Ashley watches.

Favorite household chore: Ok, so he doesn't really have a favorite one, he likes them all. He is my neat freak, which is just fine with me. He hates things to be messy, out of place or dirty.

He is still about as "all-boy" as you can possibly ask for. He is really into sports right now and told me the other day that he wants to be a "sportsman" when he grows up. I asked what that is and he said "I would play football, soccer, baseball, golf, basketball and hockey every day all day."

Another Day

2009-03-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

I really appreciate all of you that write and tell me you miss my silly stories. I do plan to get back into my blog as school starts slowing down. As many of you may know I will not be returning to preschool teaching after this school year. I have enjoyed teaching but found that having a job really interferes with my blogging time and that can not continue.

So, what brings me back to my good ol' blog today? First of all, I changed my background and was forced to look at my outdated post. I got tired of drooling at some other friends' cute blog backgrounds and finally changed mine. I also decided to return to my blog's original name of "BonBons and BooBoos." I grew tired of the other title (again!) and it won't fit our lives for much longer. J finishes his third year in just a couple of months. Hallelujah! l also figure my life is better reflected with a combo of sweet things and sour things these days, hence the reason for my original title, BonBons and BooBoos.

Right now we are on the sweet side of things around here. A little something sweet called Spring Break. Until this year I actually found Spring Break to be more on the sour side. In the past it meant an entire week without planned activities or school for the children, but this year I benefit from some time off too so, it is definitely sweet. The odd thing is, I have managed to fill up virtually every minute with some sort of something. Even with maintaining our hectic life, I am still enjoying not having to have little A at school by 7:30. Yes people you read that correctly, 7:30. If you think you have a hard time making it to preschool by 9, just wait.

In other news, little A has started soccer and most likely will be stopping soccer come the end of the season. I knew she probably wouldn't like it but I want her to try things. I never tried new things as a kid and really regret it now as an adult. Little A is lot like me as a child. "Diva" comes to mind. She told me the following after practice a couple of weeks ago:

(mind you the temperature outside was a mere 80 this night of practice)

Little A: "It was too hot out there, I was sweating. I hate sweating. I hate being too cold, I hate being too hot. I want to be just perfect and when I have to play soccer I don't feel perfect."

She is also not very aggressive, and some of these girls have obviously had professional training at pushing other kids around. Bottom line, soccer is not the sport for her. We will continue to stick with dance and piano both of which she loves.

Little man continues to charm and frustrate me on a minute by minute basis. He is really excited to be starting soccer himself come this summer. He will also be turning three next week. No more toddlers around here, which makes me a little sad but a whole lot more happy. I do best with the preschool to 4th grade age. I am already dreading that post-fourth grade period.

As for me and the hubby, we are moving right along. J decided he did not have enough of the two months of surgery he just finished, so did another month of surgery elective. We are hoping this gives him a better perspective on picking a specialty in two weeks. Surgery is a brutal schedule. He wakes up every day around 4:30 am to be at the hospital and ready to round with his residents by 6:00 am. Most nights he gets home around 7:30 to 8 pm. That makes for about a 14 hour "normal day." This does not include his call nights, which vary from each specific surgery specialty. For awhile he took call every third night. That means every other day he would continue to wake up at 4:30 am and then work straight through until about 3 pm the NEXT day. He would then come home, sleep and then be up again at 4:30 am the next day. He also has to work on weekends. Weekends are a little better because he can usually be done by early afternoon, unless he has call which means a full day and a night of a weekend. Basically, you work non-stop with little to no sleep ever. I have no idea how he is functioning.

A lot of people have asked me what he wants to do and what the process looks like from here. I am still a little unsure on all those details. What I do know for sure is he has to pick his specialty now because he has to do an away rotation in his chosen specialty. This gives him a better competitive edge when applying to residency programs. This means he will move away to another city for about a month. Just another one of those fun hurdles in this crazy process. The good news is, he really only has several more real months of school left. Most of fourth year is spent doing electives and interviewing for residencies. That means a lot more time off and a lot less school stress. In

I wish I had a more cohesive post but with my sporadic updates it is hard to do anything else but update. Hopefully, my posts will start coming closer to together. To end on a high note, here are some pictures to enjoy....

My little leprechaun in her green today!

She doesn't like playing soccer but she likes her cute jersey. The name of her team is Rock Stars which I find to be much better than some other team names. Not to name any of them but Hamsters do come to mind.

Her second year to attend the Daddy Daughter Dance. Daddy and Daughter both had the best time.

This post seems to include a lot of stuff about little A but not much about little man. Don't worry he will get his special time next week on his big day. I did want to point out something he is really good at. When J was cleaning out his car a couple of weeks ago little man insisted he vacuum the entire car by himself and he did a good job leaving nothing untouched.

While Landen vacuumed J's car, little A made us some lunch. All on her own doing with absolutely no asking or assistance from me. Notice the half piece of top bread missing. Each person's lunch had this missing. She must be aware of some new trend. These kids are really turning out to be useful.

Progress Report

2009-02-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

In case you hadn't noticed, it has been 3 months and 1 day since my last post. I guess I forgot to inform everyone that my blog would be taking a "quarterly" approach to updates. I am sure everyone can be in agreement that the holiday season was a beating, so that is my excuse for November and December. As for January, I don't have a really good excuse but I am currently in the process of renewing my state teaching certificate and need to earn 150 hours of continuing education before my birthday this year. This is something I should have been doing for the past 5 years, but I thought I would just go ahead and cram it in within a few months. So, you can find me doing online courses almost every night. Even though my posts are sporadic, I can be assured that at least my mom is still reading, so I will keep it going.

The next question that begs to be asked is "what has brought you out of hiding?" Simple. A teacher conference. It is hard to imagine that I am attending these things as a parent, but I am on my second "real" conference with Ashley. In these conferences they present a portfolio of all her work and things she has been doing these past few months. Just a few snapshots of a lot of work. I figure if that is good enough for our schools, then that will work for my blog as well. (It also helps that little man was home sick today and I had time to catch up on things). I can just give a few glimpses of our past few months and then we will be caught up. No need for those awkward "let's get reacquainted" games or conversations, just a straight forward replay, a progress report if you will.....

Ashley

Since the teacher conference inspired my blog I figure it is the best way to start my recap. As many of you recall, Little A had a rough start to school. She is now perfectly fine and even conquered her Spirit Rally phobia. The best news came in her academic area. I have known for quite some time that Ashley is an amazing reader. The girl can read my MIL's real estate contracts for crying out loud. I also am quite biased in thinking she is brilliant but of course I am her mom. Now I have some hard facts to back it up. They give all these tests to the kids these days and in her tests she scored at the 3rd grade level in BOTH reading and math. Yes, she is still in kindergarten. The teacher told me she had never seen any kindergartener in all her teaching career (20 plus years of teaching mind you) with scores like Ashley in both areas and who could read like her. They want me to apply for the gifted program next year, which is something they rarely do for kids this age in our school district. Yes, I am shamelessly bragging. Is it probably in bad taste? Maybe, but I figure parents brag about their kids' athletic accomplishments all the time why can't I brag about something that my daughter is good at? So there. I am bragging. I am proud and I don't mind saying it. Now we are just patiently waiting for her to conquer her fear of dressed up characters and we should be good.

Landen

Little man is definitely no longer a baby, he is all little boy. He is fully potty trained now, which is awesome. I finally feel like we are at a good point and I am loving it. He is also very chatty. He does not stop talking and even talks in his sleep. He loves sports and asks me on a daily basis if he is old enough to play football. School is also going well. He loves to tell me all about all his favorite friends and teachers every day. I am also happy to report that he will finally watch tv. While some parents would find this highly inappropriate, I have no shame in jumping for joy. Landen has never watched tv, even for a few seconds. I am not advocating 24 hour tv watching, but there are certain times of the day, like dinner making, when tv is a necessity. With his new attention span, I can now cook dinner without a crazy man underneath me. Hallelujah. His favorite shows are a little odd, Caillou, Berenstain Bears and Wiggles. With the exception of Wiggles, this is probably not your typical 2 year old boy's line up, but he tends to just attach himself to whatever his big sister does.

Jessie

Jessie's eye is stable. He will have to be on his blood thinners for life, but hopefully that will prevent any future clots. The rare condition he has causes clots at any given time and with no warning. The clots could occur anywhere in his body, so we are hopeful the medicine will prevent this from happening. Of course his dreams of being a professional athlete will have to be put on the back burner but he can live through Landen's sports aspirations.

As for school, he is in his surgery rotation right now. This means incredibly hard hours but we are all hanging in there. He has been in emergency surgery and trauma for the past month and now will be in vascular for the next month. The stories he has are pretty incredible and I am still in awe of how he does it. It is getting closer to the time he has to decide on a specialty. This is a difficult decision but I know everything will work out just like the rest of the process has. I can't believe he is almost done with his third year and will be starting fourth year in just a few months.

Me

I am still teaching but have decided to not return in the fall. With everything that has happened it has been a stressful year and I am ready to just take a step back and get things in order. As J starts interviewing for residencies I also want to be available to travel to potential new cities. I actually do like my job, but I am also really looking forward to being done in a few months.

Christmas

We had a great Christmas. It was filled with lots of parties and events. Ashley and I enjoyed going to two adorable events, the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea and the theater production of Madeline's Christmas. J took the little man down to the trains at Northpark one day too. Both kids were excited about anything Christmas this year so it was neat for us to share our special traditions with them. We also had a lot of fun with all the family that came through. We had the Lubbock brothers out in waves and we spend many nights playing our favorite domino game with grandma and gradpa. The best part was all the family time we had. J had three weeks off and the kids and I had two weeks off.

I think that pretty much catches us up. It is amazing how much things change and how much they stay the same in a few months. The kids are growing too quickly, time is passing too quickly and I am just trying to catch my breath and slow things down. With school, J's crazy schedule, piano lessons, dance and soccer starting this week I am thinking that is not going to happen. Stay tuned.....

Kindergarten Propaganda

2008-11-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

It looks like the 2008 election frenzy is nearing the end. In the Dickens house we choose to remain silent in our political views. Some couples fight out about money and chores, J and I like to fight politics. We are just really intelligent like that. The real truth is probably closer to the fact that we both like to argue and are stubborn. Whatever the reason, we have banned all political talk from the house barring some major disaster. Despite the silence on all things political little A has apparently picked up an interest in our country's current election.

Last week I picked little A up from school and she was wearing a "I Voted" sticker. I figured they had done a cute little lesson on voting, like we did in my pre-k class today, where they voted on their fave ice cream or color. But not this group. They had actually voted on the president. I asked A who she picked and she proudly said in a loud voice "I voted for Barack Obama." She was very matter of fact and even pronounced it correctly. (This should not be a surprise, Obama is getting all the youngsters.)

Fast forward to this evening... While sitting at the dinner table little A proceeded to have the following conversation with us.

Little A: "Are we going to watch the president election tonight?"
Informed Citizen Mommy: "Of course."
Little A: "I think I want to change my vote from Barack Obama to John McCain."
Informed Citizen Mommy: "Why?"
Little A: "Well, Barack Obama took some money from some people."
Informed Citizen Mommy: "Where did you hear that?"
Little A: "Someone told me who knows what they are talking about."
Informed Citizen Mommy: "Who?"
Little A: "A boy in Mrs. Oliveri's class."

So, there you go. A kindergartner apparently has all the answers and is passing on his info. If you haven't voted yet you might want to consider this. If you are are an Obama fan I am sure I can get another kid to spill their dirt on McCain. Why read the news when the old adage still rings true - everything we need to know we learned in kindergarten.

***In case you are thinking this post indicates I voted for McCain, I will never tell. There might even be indications that I wrote my own candidate in. Whatever the case, we will have a new president soon and change in whatever form it comes in is usually a good thing.

What Obesity Problem??

2008-10-21T19:50:00.001-07:00

J has recently finished his family medicine rotation where he got to see all kinds of people. One patient struck me as particularly funny and sad all at the same time. A mother and her approximately 7 year old son were in the office to be seen for some ailment the son had. Apparently, the son was not too fond of being seen by the doctor. After J left he heard the duo walking out to pay. The son was ready for his reward of sitting through a Dr visit and loudly demanded to the mother "YOU OWE ME A PACK OF HOT DOGS NOW!" Yes, you read that correctly -a pack - not one but an entire pack. So, if you other moms are feeling guilty over bribing your kids with small pieces of candy, you may now rest easy that there are in fact worse bribes to be given.

Big Things

2008-10-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know about other moms out there, but I feel a lot of frustration with my kids on a daily basis. I feel like I am constantly trying to remind them how to behave or do things. These days my frustration level is particularly high as I am so exhausted and drained in every way possible. That is why special little things they do, like hugs and giggles, keep me going.

This morning brought me not just a little thing, but a huge thing. Last night, I was so tired I didn't pick anything up and left the house a mess. This is a very rare occurrence since I feel like I can't even think when the house is cluttered. As my alarm went off this morning, I was slow to get out of bed and heard the kids in the game room talking. After some time had passed they came into our bedroom and Ashley said she had something to show me. Fearing the worst I sleepily and cautiously walked into the game room. What I saw turned out to be beyond my wildest imagination - they had cleaned everything up!! That is right, you read it correctly, my 5 year old and 2 year old had cleaned up all the mess I had left the night before. Toys, shoes, books, towels, blankets, bowls you name it and it had been out. Ashley said she walked down and said "What a mess!!" and decided to clean. Now don't be getting grandiose thoughts that this child likes to clean. This is the same diva that acts as though her back is breaking when I ask her to pick up one little Barbie on a normal night. This is the same child who complains that her feet hurt when she is picking up toys. And don't even get me started about Landen. He is not one to be convinced to do anything. Yet they both picked everything up all by themselves with absolutely no direction from me. I think this will be enough to keep me going for a couple more days.

Where do I start???

2008-10-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

So a little time has passed since I last wrote....all right.... A LOT of time. I think it is pretty obvious my plate was a little full. We had J's eye blindness thing, little A starting Kinder and me starting my new job - all within a couple of weeks might I add. Throw in a short weekend trip to Midland and a weekend conference in there and you have one crazy person. Trust me you did not want me to be writing, it would not have been an enjoyable experience for anyone involved. Now onto the business at hand, where do I start????

First and most importantly I want to thank everyone who gave us their thoughts, prayers and support during J's eye thing. He does have his eyesight back for the most part and is now driving and back in school. At one point things were really bad and they had to give him an injection right into his eyeball. Not pleasant, but it helped him hold onto his sight. He is also on serious blood thinners. We still do not have any kind of diagnosis as to what is causing the eye bleeding. They could happen again and he does continue to have episodes. We just have to pray that the blood thinners will work and the doctors find what is going on. In the meantime, we decided it was best for him to continue with school, despite the risk. With the possibility of this happening again with permanent damage it does make him nervous about what specialty to go into to, but I told him no one knows what is going to happen in the future, so he needs to just continue with whatever he wants to do. We will deal with things as they come.

The moral of all this is prayers do work, so THANK YOU to everyone who put in a special call to up above for us. We had lots of people and even several entire churches praying for us from all sorts of places. Just knowing this gave us the strength to deal with the extreme stress we were under. One friend in particular I would like to thank is my wonderful neighbor Amanda. She called and emailed constantly to hear updates and just be there for me to talk to. She brought us goodies a couple of times and just repeatedly offered her help. I know I wasn't always the most reciprocating friend back during the last month but she kept on being there despite that fact, so thank you! I also want to give a huge thank to my wonderful BFF Darby. She also was truly there for me and even offered to fly out here to be with me. It wasn't a meaningless offer, I know she would have been on the next plane out here if I had agreed. I also want to give a special thank you to our friends GJ and Michelle. GJ came and spent a day with J while he was recovering. I know what a big sacrifice this is to give up an entire weekend day away from your family, but it helped J so much. There were also lots of other friends who offered dinner or just offered their help. Again, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! My gratitude is forever yours.

Along with J's blindness issue, the time arrived for my baby girl to start kindergarten. It was not pretty. She had an extremely rough adjustment. After the first week, parents were no longer allowed to walk the kids into the building to their classrooms. A did not take well to this and would be kicking and screaming. The principal would have to come and pry her off of me and drag her down the hall. One particular day the counselor even came out to meet us because it had gotten so bad. It was heart wrenching. This was the same time as the eye thing too so I was just on the brink of losing it. Finally, one day I had her walk in with a friend we have known for awhile and ever since then she has been fine. I even drop her off in the car pool lane now, which is the best thing ever. She is also doing incredible in school. She has made lots of friends and loves it. I also don't know if I have mentioned it before but she is reading now, like really reading. Not memorizing or kind of reading some simple words, the girl can read. It is so incredibly awesome to see her mature like this. We are still getting over a couple of hurdles like her character phobia and dislike of P.E. but it is just amazing how quickly she is changing.

I also started school. My preschool class consists of 11, 4 to 5 year olds. We call ourselves the tigers. Fortunately for me I totally lucked out and got a class mainly of girls - HALLELUJAH to that!!! Not that I have anything against boys, I have one of my own and love him dearly, but a preschool class of boys is kind of like a roller coaster on steroids and I was dreading the possibility of experiencing that kind of ride. My co-teacher did not get so lucky and got a lot of boys in her class and you can tell a huge difference. So perhaps God knew I needed an easier class to deal with since I had so much other stuff going on. They are very sweet and cute kids (except for a couple), so it has been going well. I am just exhausted and I am starting to remember why I haven't worked in a long time. Of course every other Friday my housekeeper Beatriz reminds me, as I am greeted by a clean house courtesy of her and not me.

I can't have an update post and not include my little wild man. He continues to be wild and perhaps even wilder. He is doing incredible at school but is still have some problems adjusting to me working. The hardest part is the sleep. He is napping at school but not for as long at home and he gets up with us at 6:30, so he is exhausted and it has been showing. One really great thing is his potty training. I had taken a break for awhile with everything else going on, but started up again this past week and he is getting it!! We have had lots of success with very few accidents at home, poopy in the potty several times and even consistently going at school with only one accident there all week. I still have him wearing pull-ups when we go out because I am not ready for the hassle but he is even staying dry doing that. I love it. Of course now that I have typed this, he will probably regress to a newborn stage, but at least I can claim one week of success for now.

I have covered the blindness thing, Little A's kinder start, my preschool start and Landen's bodily functions. What more you could you ask for in a post? Well, I have barely scratched the surface my friends. And don't worry mom I haven't forgotten your special birthday post. Trust me you will get one. It is a tad late but then again I think you are used to waiting on me, as are everyone else that reads this blog. Thanks for sticking around, I am officially back....I think.

Prayers

2008-08-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

I have been seriously MIA from my blog lately. Unfortunately, today's post does not bring a lot of good news. J and I are normally very private about the challenges we face. We have tended to deal with things on our own and not take a lot of help, but right now I am changing that unofficial policy. J is dealing with some serious "grown-up" kind of health issues. I can't go into a lot of details because it is complicated but it has to do with his eyes, blood disorders and a possible immune disorder. He is slowly losing eyesight (that he won't ever get back) due to hemorrhaging in his eyes and having lots of other complications. If we don't figure out what is going on, the loss of eyesight could continue and could lead to even other bad things.

After two weeks of endless tests and doctors, there is still no diagnosis. It is very frustrating because we feel as though each day brings the possibility of his eyesight going completely, or something worse if nothing is done. There is some good news amidst all of this. With J being in medical school he has access to the best doctors and has connections to make things happen a lot faster. All of the doctors he has seen are all working together and have taken a personal interest in his case. Even a doctor who is just a friend's dad has done a lot to help him. He also has not lost all of his eyesight, so if things would just stabilize he could still continue school and do everything like before.

The last bit of good news is the amount of support we are starting to receive as friends and family hear about it. I will be honest in saying we have been under a tremendous amount of stress and worry and just knowing that other people are praying for us and thinking about us makes us feel better. People have offered to watch our kids, cook us dinner and of course pray for us. We are lucky in the fact that J's parents live close by and can help, but just knowing we have people to turn to if the need arises lifts our worries a tiny bit. The most important thing is the prayer. I almost feel embarrassed in asking people to pray for us, but in this case I don't care. We need your prayers.

Needless to say, my mind is not exactly on my blog lately. This health thing has come just at the right time of me starting my new job and Little A starting Kindergarten, so my mind is on overload at the moment. Therefore, my blog posts will most likely not be very frequent until we can get things sorted out. Hopefully good news will come soon.......

D Day

2008-08-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

The moment I have been dreading for quite some time is inching closer. In two weeks, my sweet, little baby will be forced to fend for herself in the real world. No longer will I be able to protect her from the wolves that are lurking out there waiting to strip her of her innocence. She will be expected to battle bullies and just say no to drugs. That's right it is time for kindergarten.

I don't know what happened to these past 5 years. Was it not just last week I was in the hospital with contractions??? It is hard for me to put into words what I am feeling right now but I think the biggest emotion is simply depression. The big D. I said it and it is out there. We have all heard of post-partum depression but no one tells you about pre-kinder depression. Well, I have it. I have been thinking long and hard about why this transition is so difficult and I think I have come up with a couple of answers.

1. Little A is so sweet and sensitive and I won't be around to protect her. I never want her to experience any kind of pain and I remember the hard things you have to go through.

2. Our lazy days of laying around in our pjs are numbered, not to mention we can't just pick up and go to the mall in the middle of the week.

3. School work is scary. What if I don't understand it anymore?

4. The term "soccer mom" will soon fit me to a tee as I shuttle her from her various activities. Have you seen the gas prices??

5. We no longer can vacation during the off-season. We are now officially on season travelers and must travel at the same times all the other families do.

6. I am not in control of things. It isn't just me teaching her ABC's. To get things done I will have to battle teachers, principals and school boards.

And number 7 and probably the most important.....
It means I am getting old.

I am only 31 but that isn't the point. I am old enough to have a child in kindergarten and that is a scary thought. I feel as though these last 5 years have just passed by in a blur. Let's be honest the first three years are not easy, so just as I was rounding a corner when Ashley turned three I brought home another bundle of joy and started the cycle over again. Bottom line, 5 years of my life is gone. I have tried to savor the "little moments" like all the books say but it has been hard and now I am out of time. My life is flashing forward and I can't stop it.

I remember when I was a kid and my mom seemed so ancient to me when I started kindergarten and she was ONLY 27!!! I am 5 years older than her (soon to be 32, don't bring it up again). I can only imagine the fossil state I must be in to my kids. Lines are forming on my face, my memory is gone, my metabolism has slowed down and I had to pluck a gray hair not long ago. I firmly believe that once you hit 31 that is when things start going downhill. After all back in like the 1200's people only lived to be 35. I have three more years left before I defy the life expectancy of a medieval person. What I am coming to!!!

Am I selfish to feel this way? After all I should be happy. I have a smart, beautiful daughter who is ready to start school and begin a new, exciting phase. I am happy about all that but you know what? I am selfish and that is ok. I would like to end this post with some miracle revelation that everything is going to be ok, and by the way I know it will be, but until I get past these next few weeks of adjustment I choose to remain in denial and depression and that is ok too.

Childhood Dreams

2008-07-30T19:52:00.001-07:00

I love hearing little kids tell what they want to be when they grow up. When I was a kid I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, a soap opera actress and a waitress. I used to practice my waitress skills on my parents' friends. I had a special little apron and note pad that I used for my orders. After dutifully delivering food and drinks, I would sometimes receive some coins as tips. Now that I think about it, this might qualify as possible child labor law abuse.

Ashley has her own big dreams and I never want her to forget what they are. For about a year she has been telling us she wants to be an ice cream girl and a fruit stand owner. Where she got these ideas I have no idea. At least she is all about building a family business. She has told us we can all help her at her ice cream store and fruit stand. She now has a new dream, one that suits her very well. The ice cream and fruit selling still stand but in her free time she wants to be a "weather girl." This is right up her alley because each morning she will come and tell us what the weather is and what the forecast is for the day. Tonight a possible big storm was coming and she was all a flutter with excitement. She ran around the house with updates every second of the storm. Unfortunately for our drying landscape, the storm was short lived and Ashley was very disappointed. I am glad she has her life figured out, I think I am still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up.

In Other News.....

My kids reached two very important milestones today. These milestones will have no interest for most of my readers but I have to record them because I won't remember them otherwise.

Ashley's Big Moment: I have written before how Ashley hates swim lessons because she hates putting her face in the water. This has not changed. She continues to scream and cry when the teacher forces her under. I told her today that if she went under water at today's lesson and her last lesson tomorrow, she could have whatever reward she wanted. She thought about it for a moment and quickly decided on a "Family Mexican Party." Yes, those were her exact words. So, I agreed. At lessons she continued to scream about it but finally at the end of the lesson she stood on the edge of the pool and jumped all the way in and under the water. It was truly amazing for her to be that brave. I guess a Fiesta is in order around here. Someone call the Mariachi band! I am not sure what her idea of a Mexican party is, but I do know mommy margaritas and Mexican parties go hand and hand, so Arriba!

Landen's Big Moment: I have been pseudo-potty training the little man this week. By pseudo I mean not really trying too hard. I know he is probably not ready and still a little young (barely over 2) but I thought I would at least get some basics in before I start teaching in a few weeks. He already knows how to do his #1 business when he wants to but #2 business needed a lot of work. He would freak out anytime I would mention doing #2 on the potty. Tonight after bath he announced that a BM was in the works so J put him on the potty and he actually went!! I swear miracles do happen people. Don't get me wrong, this boy is nowhere near potty trained but at least I have a good start. I never thought anything potty related would ever excite me. Life is funny that way.

One last thing......

My favorite song this week is Mercy by Duffy. For those of you smart people who watch So You Think You Can Dance, Twitch and Katee danced an incredible number to this song last week.

A Little Behind..

2008-07-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

I have always been a little behind on stuff that is cutting edge. I remember when email came out I really hesitated to start using it. I felt like nothing could replace a good phone call or a letter. How silly I was!! Then of course TiVo was my sworn enemy for a long time. I had my VCR and felt anything else would just mess my shows up. Now, my life would be ruined if I didn't have my TiVo. And don't even get me started about cell phones. It nearly took an intervention to convince me to change over to a Blackjack. I think my problem boils down to the fact that I like things to be tried and true before I introduce them to my life. I don't like a lot of change, so if something new enters my circle, it better be darn good to stay awhile.

The newest thing to take hold of my life is something not so new. A couple of years ago I remember J telling me about a new kind of MySpace thing called Facebook. I laughed and made fun of him for using something that clearly was for teenagers. Fast forward to this week and now everyone can make fun of me because I am officially addicted. My fellow blogger and friend, Michelle, innocently asked me to be her friend on her page. Now, I am a rabid friend seeker hoping to find as many people as I know. Just in a few days I have already connected with people I haven't seen in many years. I love knowing how everyone is doing and the best part is the sense of power I feel with each touch of the button. "Do you confirm or deny John Doe's friendship?" The computer asks me. Well let's see....John Doe was not very nice to me in high school...I think I will DENY! DENY! DENY! If only I had the luxury of doing that before and my life would have been perfect.

So what is the moral of my story you may ask. Who cares about Facebook? You, that's who. You need to get on and become my friend right away. I am not saying I will confirm you but I will say that you will no doubt become addicted like me. Furthermore, don't be like me and push aside new things just because they are new. For so many years I have missed out on things because I have been to slow to accept new additions to my life. I will never forget how many years ago everyone talked and talked about that hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. Tons of people told me I would love it, but I declined to watch it. Then it became syndicated. Ok that was my sign that it was for sure a good show. I finally watched it and I did love it. I had missed out on all those years of laughter. Don't be like me. Get on Facebook right now, join, then the first thing you need to do is ask to be my friend!

A Special Happy Birthday

2008-07-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow would have been my dad's 59th birthday. I had mentioned once before that I would like to share more about him as a person and I thought it would be a good time to do that. I am writing this a day early because I know I will not have time to do it tomorrow and I don't want to let it go.

Awhile back I was going through some books I have and found a scribbled copy of the eulogy I did for my dad at his funeral. The handwriting is hard to read and not always in complete thoughts. After reading it again I realized I wanted to have a better written copy. It took a lot for me to get up and share my thoughts on him in the middle of a stressful time and I don't want to lose what it was I said. It might not translate very well to the written word, but hopefully it will give you an idea of who my father was to me. Happy Birthday dad.

Here it is, my eulogy to my father. Originally spoken on January 28th, 2002. For those that were there, it may vary slightly due to my nerves at the funeral, but this is how it was originally written.

"As I was going through some of my dad's things this weekend I discovered something I had never known. Inside a folder were several ribbons that were dated 1958. They were from a District 118 UIL meet, which was when my dad lived in Barstow, TX. I had never seen these ribbons before so I started reading the back to find out what my dad had won them for. There were the standard events - 1st place for Boys Track, 2nd place for Boys Doubles, Placed in Boys Singles...Then one particularly struck me. First Place in Storytelling. Now mind you my dad was only 9 years old in 1958 and he was already the best storyteller in Barstow, TX. Now any of you who knew my dad can certainly bet he was still the best storyteller you knew! One "story" he had me believing for many years was his lack of friends. When I would ask him about his friends, he would jokingly tell me - "friends? no one likes me, I run them off!" As I look around the room today, it just confirms he was once again practicing his storytelling for the love and support all of you shown far surpasses anything I could ever have imagined. Nothing was more important to my dad than friends and family so having everyone here means everything to me.

After talking with many people these last few days I understand everyone knew how much my dad loved me and how important I was to him, but not many of you know how I felt about him. If everyone had as much love and support as I received from my father, this world would be a perfect place. There was never a minute that went by that I did not feel his love. It was this love and devotion to me that pushed me to excel in life. Everything I did in my life was done to make him proud. Every grade I got, every activity - I did it for him. I did it because I knew how much my dad wanted me to succeed and I never wanted to let him down. He always had full confidence in my abilities and that confidence kept me going.

My dad made me what I am today. He always pushed me to be independent and strong-minded, even though these very traits were often used against him. I will never forget when we bought our house and I argued that I should have the master bedroom instead of him. Of course I didn't get the bedroom in the end, but he actually considered my arguments. Many a heated discussions went this way. He always let me vocalize my opinions and would disagree with me, even if he secretly agreed, just to give me that push to be confident in my thoughts and words. Many were shocked at the way we would be banter but my dad thrived on getting me all "riled" up as he used to say because he knew he was encouraging me to be a stronger woman. Even in little things he allowed me to make decisions that would later give me a strong foundation. If you saw us at the grocery store you would probably have laughed to see me, even at age 10, pushing my own cart around. He would give me a budget for groceries and I could buy whatever I wanted. Of course at that age, my cart would be filled with tubs of icing, marshmallow cream, Dr. pepper and candy bars. He never said a word but would just let me buy them and then realize later how silly I was when I was hungry for a "real snack." He granted me the opportunity to make real decisions and have a real voice and that has carried me my entire life.

I also admire the way my single father gave up every Friday and Saturday night just so he could take me to play mini golf or rent a movie. We loved to play mini golf together. I didn't know it at the time but my dad, a good golfer, would let me win most of the time which at the time made me feel like I was the best golfer in the world. He always knew how to make me feel important.

I am thankful to a man who sacrificed personal luxury so his daughter could go to college, or who was adamant about living in the same town my entire life so I could get a good education and have a stable environment. As a child he moved around a lot because his father was in the oil business. He felt that this made him less successful in school, so he wanted me to have every advantage there was despite other job offers that might have been more interesting to him. On the day I graduated from A&M, I had a special diploma made with both our names on it to show that it wasn't just me that earned a degree but it was both of us. My dad, who never graduated from college, beamed with pride when he saw it and I will always consider my dad a Fightin' Texas Aggie.

Finally, I am inspired by the role model my dad was. He had a love of life that I will never forget. This was displayed by his incredible sense of humor and ability to make any situation more fun. I remember when I pulled out of the driveway to go to college, the last words he said to me were "Don't let college get in the way of life." He knew how I tend to work too hard and he wanted me to focus on what was really important; not the academics, but the life. I carry these words with me today. He also carried his love of life into his hobbies and made the most of his free time. At 52 he was still playing racquetball twice a week, playing golf all the time and had even participated in the MS 150 mile bike marathon. I also don't want to forget all the work he did for Habitat for Humanity. He enjoyed Habitat because he actually got to do the work himself and not just write a check. All of these traits are what made my dad such a role model to me and inspired me to be a better person.

There is no doubt my love for my dad was as great as his was for me. Which is why these past few days the only question I can think to ask is "why?" Why did this happen? Why is it a man who is in better shape than his 25 year old daughter die? Why will my dad not be there to walk me down the aisle in 4 short weeks? This is probably the hardest one for me. My dad was so excited about the wedding. He would call and ask me about the details constantly. When the RSVP's started coming in, he diligently placed them in a box, recorded each name and would call me with excitement at news more people were coming. I looked forward to the actual wedding day when the man who supported me all these years would walk me down that aisle and give my hand to Jessie. So I really can't understand why he would have left before. The pain is almost unbearable. I feel lost without the main person who has guided me my entire life.

Despite the sadness there are times I am gaining a new sense of perspective and comfort. The other night after everyone had left, I had a chance to really stop and feel everything. I then saw what my dad had in his life when he left us. He was the happiest I had ever seen him. For years I prayed for him to find a person he could share his life with and when my prayer was answered with Cynthia I could never have imagined someone more perfect for him. My dad was also in the best shape he had ever been. Finally, he knew I was taken care of and truly happy with Jessie. He was on top of the world and would never have wanted to come down from that.

A special friend of my dad's shared something with me. A few weeks ago her and my dad were talking about me and the wedding. She said my dad finally came to the consensus that his job in raising me was finally done. I was officially grown up. Maybe this is true in many ways. My dad had touched so many lives and brought happiness to so many people. Maybe it was just time for his job to be done here so he could go on to his next one - a better job in a better place. For my dad I think that place includes one amazing golf course where he can play with all his friends and family who are already there and who will be there to come."

The Results Are In....

2008-07-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned before, J took his mega, huge, gigantic Board Exam a few weeks ago. This test is probably the most important exam he will take as a doctor. Of course, he will have to pass other Boards later but he just has to pass those, the exact score of this test is what makes it so important. If a person does really, really well on this exam, called Step 1 to the doctor types, then they can basically have their choice of specialty and residency program. If they do bad, then they will have a difficult time. Since J wants to do a very competitive specialty like Orthopedic Surgery, ENT or Dermatology, he needed a good score.

After J completed the exam he was not happy. Apparently he had misjudged the number of sections and thought he was running out of time during the test. This made him feel like he didn't do as well as he hoped. He has been super down about it and I have been trying to stay positive but secretly was very nervous. After all this test pretty much determines our future and I didn't want all his hard work to disappoint him.

We knew the results would be ready at 11:00 pm our time on Tuesday night and J thought he did so awful he was just going to go to bed instead of see the score; however, enticed by an episode of "Rock the Reception" he managed to stay up. At 11:01 I ran to get J and tell him it was time. I was a nervous wreck. J logged on to the site but of course it took forever since everyone else was logging in at the same time. Finally, he announced he was in. I took my place behind him and peered over his shoulder. The score sheet appeared on the screen with the word "Pass" on it. Whew!! At least he passed. Slowly he scrolled down to reveal his actual score.......and it was PHENOMENAL!!!!! He scored in the top 1% of the nation!!!! We just stared at the computer in disbelief, then erupted in cheers. We both jumped up and down and hugged, shrieking like little girls the entire time (sorry J, but there is no shame in that!)

So, now here we are, much like a time 3 years ago when the sky is basically the limit for J and his medical career. What will he do? Where will we go??? I don't have the answers yet, we are still in discussions. What I do know is I am extremely proud of J and his amazing accomplishment. He worked so hard and it shows how this path is without a doubt the right path for him.

Going Crazy

2008-07-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

J has survived his first couple of weeks on his Psychiatry rotation. Psych is a less intense rotation as far as hours go but is still pretty intense on the type of patient you see. His official diagnosis - there are a lot of crazy people in this world. This is perhaps the most evident in the ER where psych patients are brought in by the police and held in a private, enclosed room. Personally, I would find that way more scary than jail, but that is just me.

When J started his rotations he had to undergo a self-defense lesson and was told not to wear a tie as it could present a safety risk for him. I had never really thought about these scenarios before. As an official member of the Nervous Nelly club, I was more than just a little nervous. This was especially true on the night he took his first overnight shift at the ER. The shift lasted from midnight until 8 am the next morning. The hospital is in a very dangerous neighborhood and the clientele fits the area. I didn't sign up for this "pseudo-policeman's wife" bit. Fortunately, on this night J did not have to practice any extreme martial arts.

I can't reveal too much about individual patients but I have heard some snippets of what many would consider the standard psychiatric patient - stuffed animal companions thought to be real, extreme cat lovers, prosthetic limbs being literally thrown in anger, and of course the usual person who believes they are being contacted by "aliens" in the form of code. Just your boring day in the psych ward. In fact, his duties are much like mine at home. After his all-nighter, J informed me that his night mostly consisted of him making sure his patients were still alive, breathing and not causing any harm to others. Hmmm......sounds a lot like what I do around here.

I think the most surprising thing about this gig is that J is becoming more sympathetic towards people with these afflictions. He is realizing that for the people who are truly ill, they do not choose being the way they are and just want help. He has taken an special liking to a couple of patients and wants to help them so much, but is very limited in what he can do. I think the hardest part is becoming so involved in these patients' lives. J has to talk to family members who beg for their relative to get better, but there are no guaranteed solutions. Of course that is medicine in general. Doctors can try everything possible but at the end of the day it is really up to a higher power what happens.

On a lighter note, J wanted me to be sure and make a notation of today's date. Apparently while I took little A to see the American Girl movie today, an important event took place. J informed me that today, July 13th, 2008 marks the official beginning of Landen's sports training. Last night while we had some of our favorite, close friends over, the men decided to film their golf swings. They were on the side of the house but little man caught a glimpse of them and ran over to me, "Mommy, where is my golf club?" I pointed it out to him and he ran over to join the rest of the golf nerds to swing away. J has never been more proud, hence the official training period has begun. So, take note ESPN and Sports Illustrated, our future pro is now in the game.

New Chapter, New Title

2008-07-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

Many of you may remember me mentioning a slight change in my blog. For those who are really on top of it, you will notice that I now have a brand new title. If you have been reading you know I have an obsession with titles. So, I went and changed my title to fit the new phase of our life we are starting. Don't worry we are still filled with lots of Bon Bons and Boo Boos, but times change and I want to change with them. What can you expect? I have no idea.

I will never forget that orientation day 2 years ago when J and I walked through the med school doors. For me, I was taken back to my first days at A&M. You know the feeling... the butterflies of excitement, the feeling of a fresh start and the confusion of not knowing what the heck to do. It was the same way this day. Being a sucker for schedules and meetings, I was having a blast. There was also lots of cookies and snacks, I just knew this place was going to be great.

It soon came time for a special "significant others" session. Since I considered myself one of those, I decided to go. In this group we were going to learn all about what to expect the next four years. A very pleasant looking lady, who we can call Dr. Jekyll, explained that the first two years are all pure academics. Our students would be learning the basics of medicine. We should support them in their studies and encourage them at all times. Seemed simple enough to me. Then it was time for third year. A hush fell over the crowd. Dr. Jekyll suddenly turned into Mrs. Hyde. As she turned to face us, I was reminded of that scene in "The Wizard of OZ" when the bad witch is flying on her broom cackling as loud as can be.

"Third Year is not like the first two..." [Mrs. Hyde cackles while the theme to Jaws echoes in the background.]

"Third year will be the true test of your student and your relationship. All rules are off"

**Excuse me? What happened to the cookies and snacks and hugs we were getting earlier??

"Just know that if you depend on your student for any kind of support, you just need to get over that and learn how to do everything by yourself because that is how it will be during third year. Just prepare yourself now." [This was followed by lots of loud cackling and I believe a broomstick flying off into the recreation center. But don't quote me on that.]

What a welcome! I would have dismissed this Jekyll and Hyde woman but the horror stories continued. Other wives told me tales of never seeing their husbands and the enormous stress. All the literature they gave us had the facts printed in black and white: The insane hours, the tests, and the pressure. Even my OB/GYN who graduated from J's school, reaffirmed what I had been hearing. Bottom line - I needed to get ready.

So, here we are. The dreaded third year has begun. J started a week ago. Up until this point I have not talked very much about J's school and our life in dealing with his studies for a couple of reasons. First, like I wrote, the first two years are filled with book learning. There were some interesting stories but basically it would not have been very exciting for me to write about J reading his biochem book for the millionth time.

The other reason it has not been a huge focus in my writing is for more selfish, personal reasons. Many of you know what it feels like to lose your identity after having kids. You are no longer an unique individual but belong to someone else. For example, no matter what I do I am labeled Ashley and Landen's mom. With Jessie's school it just takes my identity one step even lower. I can't even tell you how many times in conversations I have been asked about his school but not one question about me. Here is often how it goes:

Anonymous Person: "Hi, how your kids?"
Lost Identity Jennifer: "Good, they are just growing every day."
Anonymous Person: "What about J's school, how long does he have left? what specialty does he want to go into? how does he like it? tell me ALL about it!"
Lost Identity Jennifer: Usual standard answers.
Anonymous Person: "Ok bye"

As you see I got a mention as a mom and as someone's wife. Nothing that screams Jenn in there. Silly? Of course it is. Is what I do very interesting? Nope. I realize staying at home is not as exciting as cutting open dead bodies and saving lives. I do realize that supporting J is an important part of my life and I should embrace it. After all it is interesting. It is not everyday that someone quits their stable, cushy job of 8 years to attend med school with a wife and two kids in tow. Third year will make all of that even more interesting and I think writing about it will not only interest a lot of people but also give a nice little record of the crazy things J will get to experience. Let's not forget I will also be starting a new chapter as I embark on my year of teaching four year olds at the kids' school, hence my preschool life as a third year wife.

So, what does this year have in store? Third year consists of about 8 rotations in different clinical specialties; Psychiatry, OB/GYN, Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Surgical sub-specialty, Neurology and Pediatrics. Each rotation lasts from 4-8 weeks and varies on the intensity of hours and stress. Right now, J is in Psychiatry, which brings lots of interesting things. As the weeks pass, I will share some of his interesting experiences (without violating any privacy laws of course!) I will also share some of my thoughts on his rotations including my feelings on my hubby doing pelvic exams. How many of you out there can relate to that????? Once my job starts in August, I am sure I will also have some interesting tales of four year olds. Let's not forget the most important figures in all of this, my very own special little ones. Ashley and Landen will still get front and center attention. It's still me and I will still be writing about me, I am just in a new chapter, I can't wait to see how it will end.

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!

2008-07-03T20:35:00.001-07:00

It was on fourth of July 5 years ago that our very own 8 lb 1 oz firecracker entered this world. At 6: 20 am on July 4, 2003 Ashley Rose changed our lives forever.

Finding out I was pregnant with Ashley was a surprise, ok I will admit it, a major shocker. I think I took about 10 pregnancy tests to confirm. The doctor was a little surprised too considering he had just told us a few weeks before that we would most likely have to undergo fertility treatments when the time came for us to have kids. Of course when he told me this, kids were the last thing on my mind.

J and I had only been married for 7 months and it had been somewhat of a hard year. After all it is not every year you buy a new house, remodel the house, lose your job, lose your father, get married and start a new job all within a few months. I guess you could say I was at my limit as far as stress went and a baby was not on my agenda. I couldn't even take care of a dog. J had given me a puppy after we got married and I was so stressed with everything going on in my life, I simply couldn't handle taking care of it. My mom took the dog and luckily Buckley is still living happily ever after with her and my stepfather. Even in my frazzled state of mind I knew I couldn't give my baby to my mother to take care of. I had no idea what I was going to do.

My pregnancy was not fun either. I was desperately sick with 24 hour vomiting and nausea. At work I would go and lay on the cold bathroom tile just to get some relief. The vomiting and nausea was followed by gestational diabetes. This was almost worse than the sickness. Telling a pregnant lady she can't have sweets is like telling a bee they can't have honey. I just knew that since I had a hard pregnancy I would have an easy labor and delivery - WRONG! That was awful too. I ended up pushing for three hours and the epidural didn't work very well for most of that pushing. Then, she was here. It was as though everything suddenly disappeared. Nothing mattered. Not the stress, or the sickness or the all the pain. Nothing mattered except her. It was as though I had been living in a coma all years leading up to this very moment just waiting to meet her and start living.

It turns out Ashley was an amazing baby and that was my reward for all the hardships of pregnancy and labor. She was an incredible sleeper (she slept from 9 pm until 7 am at 3 weeks), a good eater, hardly cried and the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Even to this day she is an amazing little girl. When I look at her I just feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to have her in my life and know what love really is. I look back on the timing of her arrival and I realize now that it is really the decisions that are made for us that truly shape our lives. I never would have chosen that exact time in my life to have kids but I now realize I needed Ashley to save me. She opened my heart and world up in a way no one else could have done at that time.

As if this post isn't long enough, here are some special things about Ashley that I want to remember as she reaches this important 5 year milestone:

When you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up she replies, "An ice cream girl and a vegetable grower."
She is as "girly" as they come. She loves anything to do with baby dolls, dresses, pink, princesses, dancing and make-up. My early brain-washing obviously worked.
She has always loved to read. Her favorite books are the Tinkerbell fairy chapter books. We read a chapter a night.
She is obsessed with fairies, especially Tinkerbell. When she lost her first tooth a couple of months ago, she wrote a letter to the tooth fairy wishing that she could fly. When that didn't happen she was very upset. When she lost this last tooth, she wrote another letter asking why her wish didn't come true.
She is a wonderful big sister. She is so sweet to Landen and has always helped take care of him. Now, they are super close and adore each other.
When you ask her what her favorite restuarants are she will say "BBQ" and "Jason's Deli."
Her favorite movie is "Annie." She knows all the songs.
She knows the name of every major retail store and restaurant we pass. When we drive she will tell me the name of all them so I will hear such things as "Red Lobster! Subway! Kohls! Best Buy!" shouted in the back seat.
She is quite an artist. Her pictures are very good and she will draw for hours.

I could go on and on, but bottom line - she is officially her own little person with her own little attitude and I love it. Recently, she has been telling me, "I don't want to get any bigger, I want to stay this size forever." I wish the same thing.

Rites of Passage

2008-06-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

During my long blogging absence, Ashley "graduated" from preschool. It was very cute. For about a week afterwards she kept requesting special favors and treats by saying "I'm the graduate girl." Here she is receiving her diploma and medal. I didn't really understand the sunglasses but they turned out to be handy when J needed an extra pair in the car the other day.

One of the best things about the night was the rare decent family photo we got.

More Random Thoughts....

2008-06-23T20:12:00.001-07:00

I love a good series, so here is part two of my random thoughts. For those people who may not like bullet points, I have done sub-headings. Don't get too used to it.

Things I Don't Want to Forget

It is happening. If you are older than 30 and read this blog, you know what I am talking about. Yes, I have forgotten most of my life stories. I try so hard to remember little, interesting tidbits and it won't come. Of course I can remember totally random and useless stuff. For example, J asked me tonight where we ate before he took the MCAT 3 years ago. I rattled that off without a problem. (It was Rudy's BBQ if you are just dying to know). But if you were to ask me about my senior prom, forget it. This is why I feel compelled to start writing little memories as they come to me, or include special little things the kids do. After all this blog is really a record for me, so I should use it.

First Thing I Don't Want to Forget

Summers. I was gardening tonight ( a fancy way to say pulling weeds) and I realized how much I love evenings in the summer. I know this is a favorite time of many people, but I am rarely outside between the hours of 7:30 and 9 due to baths and bedtimes. It made me think back to several summers growing up.

I remember one summer after the fifth grade my dad took a friend, Erin, and me down to see my great aunt and uncle. They lived in Harlingen, which was close enough for us to take a day trip to Mexico. I don't remember much about the town except for the restaurant we ate at. It seemed really dark and they played mariachi music. As a mature fifth grader I already knew a few things, like they served alcohol to anyone down there. Since we were with my dad I knew we weren't going to be getting any shots, so we thought a good way to make us feel hip was to order some fancy, dancy Shirley Temples. I will never forget those Temples as long as I live. They were the best I have ever had. Down in Mexico they make them a little different and add some fruit punch to the usual sprite and amaretto. My friend and I started acting goofier and goofier by the second after downing Temple after Temple. We started thinking that since we were in Mexico these drinks MUST have alcohol in them (it surely wasn't the sugar!). Driving back into town that night we sat in the back of my great-uncle's truck. He had a cab over the back but we were able to lay down and open the windows so the air would blow over us. I have never laughed so hard and felt so carefree. To this day, I prefer a good Shirley Temple over any other alcoholic beverage.

Words of Wisdom

Ashley turns five in two weeks and I feel as though she is suddenly maturing at a rate 100 times that. It is so hard to describe in words but every day I see her change in ways I never expected. She has always said the funniest things, but I haven't been so good about keeping track. Here a few things from the past couple of days.

"I am going to go stylish my hair."

"Mommy, do I look fashion?" (This is after she returned from stylishing her hair. She had about 10 hair clips of different colors all put in very nicely)

"I don't have a bow in my hair. I need a bow or I just don't look right." (This was before swim lessons after I had taken her bow out. I am just now realizing that most of the comments are related to her hair. Hmmm..... )

A: "I don't want to grow up, I always want to stay the same size I am"
Me: "Why?"
A: "I don't want to have a baby and have to get a shot."
Personally, I like this philosophy to remain in place until she is out of college and married. Then I will have to work on changing it one day to get a grandchild.

Tip of the Week

When I knew I was going to pull weeds tonight, I started thinking about what I could sit on. Last time I used a towel and that didn't work so well. I know they make all those fancy gardening pads and chairs, but I am way too cheap for that stuff. Finally, I decided to use one of Landen's vinyl diaper pads and it worked really well. You probably already have this tip all figured out, but for me this was a major a-ha moment. These don't come too often, so I choose to celebrate them.

One last thing......

In the next week or so, there will be a little change to my blog.

Random Thoughts

2008-06-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to change the name of blog to bon bons, boo boos and bullet points. You have probably noticed I am a big fan of the little dots. My mommy brain (which we have discussed before) keeps my brain from having very many thorough, coherent thoughts. The bullet points allow me to express my thoughts with the least effort possible.

As I mentioned last week, our summer is turning out to be very hectic. I thought summers were supposed to be laid back but ours is crazier than ever. Here are some random thoughts and events from the past couple of weeks.

Ashley had her dance recital and she did an amazing job. It was the first year she actually performed the entire number. I was expecting her to not know the routine because when we practiced at home she wouldn't do it right. The dance was a ballet to Tinkerbell music. It was adorable.
That same weekend we had recital, we also had some good friends stay with us. Lynette and Todd were our neighbors but moved to Arizona. They were back in town for a wedding and it was so great to spend time with them. The best part was our adults only dinner at Jasper's. The desserts were spectacular. We got a sampler of cherry limeade pie, Butterfinger creme brulee and rocky road brownie sundae.
Recital weekend also had my BFF, Darby, come into town. I felt so blessed to have so many good friends in town in one weekend. Again, I was treated to another night out. This time it was just the girls.
Parties, parties, and more parties has been the theme. We have been to two birthday parties a weekend since the middle of May. The kids have had a blast, but I am tired. I have been taking them by myself to these parties and it is a lot of work. I now know the party scene around here like the back of my hand - gymnastic party, My Gym party, swimming party, bounce house party, sprayground party, McDonald's party - you name it and we have been there.
We had a party this weekend at a new aquatic center. I was extremely nervous about going with the kids by myself. It turned out to be one of our best experiences. They had a long lazy river and I was able to sit in an inner tube, put Landen in my lap and Ashley held on to the side. We floated for over an hour. I would never have believed you if you had told me that was possible before.
Speaking of swimming, Ashley is in swimming lessons every day. She likes playing in water as long as she has floaties on and an inner tube around her. What she doesn't like is any mention of going under water. I swear, this child is more and more like me every day. As I child I hated swim lessons and I certainly would never go under water. I was always terrified and consequently never learned to swim. Water is just not my thing unless it involves peaceful floating like above. Therefore, I was bound and determined to make sure Ashley knows how to swim. She has been doing well getting in the water but she still won't put her face in the water. I am contemplating possible bribes.
Jessie has his huge board exam next week. He has been studying all day and night for weeks (night being until bedtime not all night!). I know he is ready for it to be over with as I am too. Send good, smart vibes his way. Next Tuesday is the big day. Then he will get a whole whopping 5 days until he starts his 3rd year which is supposed to be even more hours and work. So, send me all your patience vibes. I need them as I will continue to fly solo with the kids for awhile.
My fave show, So You Think You Can Dance, is finally into the actual competition part and not just auditions. Now is the time to watch. The Next Food Network Star is also good. Check your local listings for times.

I have a lot more random thoughts but I promised myself I would only write for 30 minutes and my time is up. I am sure your time is up on reading this too. I will write more later, after all I still have stuff to write about Ashley's first sleepover at our house and Landen's obsession with scissors. If that doesn't keep you on the edge of your seat, I don't know what will.

I'm Back....

2008-06-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

This past week has been filled with birthday parties, end of year school programs, a dance recital, dance recital rehearsal, friends staying with us, another friend visiting, an end of year picnic, So You Think You Can Dance, the Lost finale and preschool graduation. Nothing like cramming an entire month's worth of activities into one weekend. The fun continues this weekend with two more birthday parties and a baby naming. Perhaps I will elaborate more on these things as the time feels right, but what is most important right now is my tag. Yes, I have been tagged again. This time my wonderful friend and neighbor, Brit has tagged me. I can not let a good tag pass me by. I didn't realize how long this tag was until I just looked at the questions and to complicate matters I am writing in between coats of nail polish. So, forgive me if my answers are not the well-written poetry you have come to expect.

Favorite Person outside of family? This is such a loaded question, I would never even begin to tell my secrets on this one. Right now my favorite person is whoever is reading this post!

Favorite Food? Where do I start? Pizza, Cheeseburgers, Pasta and Cake probably top the list. A good BBQ brisket and cream corn can certainly move me too.

Quirks? Leaving lids off of things is a definite issue I have. For some reason I am always losing lids or just forgetting to put lids on things after I am done with them. I also have a weird thing about my sink. I only like dirty dishes to be set to the right of the sink (not IN the sink). I will then rinse them off and then place them in the left side of the sink. I HATE when dirty dishes are just left in a pile on the side I rinse in. I also have specific sponges for certain cleaning. If they get mixed up, I just throw them away. I am sure J can add to this list. Please feel free to comment.....

How would a person you love describe you in 10 words or less? A caring, sensitive, high-strung, funny, mess.

Any regrets? I always wished I had taken dance longer as a child and did more extra-curricular stuff in high school and college. Also, I wish I had traveled more when I had the chance.

Favorite charity? I tend to donate and volunteer for charities that support domestic abuse victims. I once volunteered at the hospital to help abuse victims as they came into the emergency room.

Favorite blog? To be fair I have to say The Family Guy.

Something you can't get enough of? Hugs and smiles from my kids, and good magazines.

Worst job? I have had a lot of jobs but none were ones I absolutely hated. I guess you could say my assistant buyer job at Neiman's was my worst but it was because of the environment I was in. There were some definite perks and fun experiences to the job but just a few people made me want to quit. It was the only job I have really ever quit for not liking the people.

Job you would pay NOT to have? I would second Brit on cleaning public restrooms - YUCK! You also couldn't pay me to do any kind of trash pick up or sewage job. I know there are people that do these jobs and I owe them a debt of gratitude.

Where would you like to be a fly on the wall? Anywhere some good gossip is going on.

Favorite Bible verse? I have always loved the twenty-third Psalm, The Lord is My Shepherd. During any rough time, I can think about this and know that I am being led to where I need to be.

If you HAD to spend $1000 on yourself, what would you buy? Clothes, clothes and more clothes!

Guilty Pleasure? Naps, Dr. Peppers, magazines and tv shows.

Favorite thing about house? Our neighbors and our backyard.

One thing you are bad at? LOTS of things but one definite thing is sewing and crafting.

One thing you are good at? Planning stuff, not necessarily following through, but the planning part is a skill I possess.

What is one thing you would change about your circumstances? There is nothing I would really change, I have a wonderful life. Of course we always could use more money and time, but who couldn't?

Who would you like to meet? All of my ancestors. I would love to know the stories of how it all came to be.

Real life hero? I have lots of heroes. One I am particularly fond of is my Memaw. She was a single mom and raised four kids all on her own. Despite her many hardships she maintained a strong faith in God and created a strong bond in her kids and grandkids. I also look up to my parents who also were single parents and managed to raise me through some pretty sassy teenage years. Finally, my very own hubby is a hero to me because he is showing our kids what it means to follow your dreams but not sacrifice your family.

What is the hardest part of your job? Having enough patience.

When are you most relaxed? On a massage table right after I have had a pedicure and a facial.

What stresses you out? Everything stresses me out. High-strung and type A aren't just descriptive words I throw around, they are facts of my life.

What can you not live without? My husband, kids, friends and cable.

Why do you blog? To use my brain in a different way. After wiping bottoms all day, I need a little more mental stimulation.

Who do you tag? I tag Michelle, Kristen and Darby. You are IT!

For the Record

2008-05-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

While cleaning out a closet today I came across my baby book and was reminded of one of my favorite things as a little one. I have shared this with some of you, but it is worth mentioning again.

On my "first birthday" page, the book asks my mom for my favorite foods. At the ripe old age of one, my mom replied....

"Jennifer's favorite foods are pork and beans, potatoes and cola."

To further clarify she had scribbled out "coca" before the word cola, as in coca-cola. She must have realized that I wasn't necessarily picky about colas, I would take just about any carbonated beverage. If this isn't the epitome of a West Texas baby, I don't know what is. Let this be a lesson to you other parents. I have grown from that pork and bean baby to a healthy adult. So, go ahead and give your kid that extra cookie with dinner.

Getting It

2008-05-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Little A made it through her first overnight sleepover/campout. I mentioned it briefly in my last post but we "won" this campout at the preschool's fundraising dinner. Several parents got together and paid for a campout at the teacher's house.

In getting her ready for the night I started getting very nervous. I started worrying about all sorts of crazy things.

"What if she can't find the bathroom in the middle of the night?"
"What if she gets sick?"
"What if someone breaks into the house and I can't be there to protect her?"
"What if some of the kids found something dangerous like a gun or medicine?"

My list could go on and on, but suffice to say I was being a typical mom. To make myself feel better, I went over everything that could go wrong and what she should do. I made sure she knew to speak up to the teachers if she needed something (she is very shy). After drilling everything into her head she finally told me "Stop, I really get it." These words broke my heart. She is only 4 and she thinks she already has everything under control, She is me reincarnated, which only breaks my heart even more. I have always been very independent and though I want that for her, I also want her to need me forever too.

All night I had a little knot of worry in my stomach but managed to act calm. Around ten o'clock I couldn't take it anymore and called. She was doing fine and having a blast. I was very relieved to hear this but also sad to know she was still doing fine without me. Then, she needed me. At seven this morning the phone rang and Ashley wanted to come home. Apparently she discovered a new loose tooth and wanted me to pick her up. I arrived and she clung to me. My little girl may be independent and "gets it" but she still needs her mommy in a time of crisis. I plan on keeping it that way. Of course the loose tooth also reaffirms her rapid aging. Her teeth seem to be dropping like flies. At this rate the tooth fairy is going to be needing a loan. Can anyone spare a dime? Or perhaps lots of dimes?

You Know You Are Getting Old When....

2008-05-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few things that happened within a course of about 15 minutes, that indicated I might be aging a little. You will know you are also getting old when......

You are driving your little girl to her first overnight campout.
On the way to the campout the little girl asks: "Does it hurt when a baby comes out of your tummy?" and she expects an answer.
When scanning the radio for a good tune you hit upon "Footloose" and realize you are on the golden oldies station.

Nothing like a strong dose of reality hitting me in the face all at once. Let's not even mention the gray hair I found a few months ago. They say you are only as old you feel, but if that is the case I feel about 150 right now.

What I am doing Wednesday

2008-05-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

Is it Wednesday? Sometimes I feel as though I am in a constant state of confusion around here. Today was one of "those" days. It started with yet another injury from little man. He fell on some concrete steps at the park and landed on his face. Blood was pouring out of his mouth as he bit both sides of his tongue and scraped up his chin really bad. Luckily, my friend Amanda kept me calm and collected. I swear I don't know what I would do without her. She always seems to be there when Landen has blood issues and she always helps me feel better.

I probably should have called it a day at this point but Amanda mentioned going to the consignment store and there is no way I can pass that up. Sure enough, it was chaotic, but not terrible. The low point came when we all decided to go to McDonald's. After getting the kids all excited about eating there and managing to make it inside with all four of our kids, the order person informed us that their fry machine was broken. If you are not aware, the fry machine controls that place. If the fry machine isn't working, you can pretty much kiss your unhealthy, fat-laden meal goodbye. Yes, this even includes the chicken nuggets. Lucky for me Landen will only eat nuggets and fries. Thank goodness Amanda pointed out a Taco Bell/Pizza Hut close by. She watched the kids while I got food. What's the moral of this pointless story? Always have a good, calm friend with you at all times. Don't leave home without her. Thanks Amanda!

What am I watching?
Season finales are in full swing. The Office was funny, but I am claiming "The Dinner Party" as my favorite episode of the year. Desperate Housewives had a nice twist at the end but was a tad too long for my taste. Gossip Girl was a little disappointing, mainly because my favorite characters didn't get together but I guess if they did no one would keep watching.

What am I reading?
I just finished The Pact by Jodie Picoult. It was my first novel of hers and I enjoyed it. Every night I would force myself to read until I couldn't take it anymore just so I could find out what happened. That must mean it is good. You could probably also count The Trouble with Tink as a book. it is a chapter book I am reading to little A.

What am I clicking and listening to?
This is the same this week. What makes Gossip Girl so good is the incredible music they play. I found a Gossip Girl channel on You tube. It plays all the songs from every show. Even if you don't watch the show, the music is worth listening to.

Spring Fever

2008-05-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

Spring fever has literally taken hold around here. I have suffered two bouts of strep throat and now spring allergies and hay fever are cursing me. With all the fevers and the nice weather, my blogging has taken a back seat. I am tired of being bombarded with emails begging me for another post, so I will try to appease my audience (my audience being my mom and husband).

Week in Review

The week started off with another bout of strep. Luckily, J had some antibiotics he had not finished. Sleeping from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 a.m. the next morning probably helped a little too. I really don't think I have EVER gone to bed that early and slept all night.
This week also brought more teaching as I filled in for the 2 year old class. Teaching these tots worried me but it turned out to be easy. They have a two hour nap scheduled, which meant I sat there and read.
A four hour nap from little man. He has done lots of 3 hours stretches here in recent months but four hours is our record, and I had to wake him up. He is not sick and still went to bed at 8 that night. I guess he was just worn out from a big playtime at Chick-fil-a.
A nice weekend with just me and the kids. J had a guy's golf weekend, so I was flying solo. On Friday, I was feeling brave after the four hour nap, so I took the little ones to dinner at Corner Bakery. They were in good spirits and the weather was phenomenal, so I decided to push it even more. We ventured on down to a store and I shopped for awhile. Then we headed over to Whole Foods for some food sampling and band listening. Every Friday night they have a little band play some good old-fashioned cover songs. There is nothing that gets me grooving like some good cover songs. I think we might start making this a little tradition. Afterwards, we even made it over to Barnes and Noble where we read for awhile. It was a great night.
The next day of our weekend started a little bumpy. Little man discovered a coin box we have and decided to dump all of it on the carpet. We spent a good part of the morning searching for coins and hunting for them in the thick carpet. I had all these coins sorted and was planning to roll them at some point, but any organization I had going was completely ruined. Coinstar was my next logical choice. We took the money and exchanged it for about $80 of cold hard cash. Save your coins people. To celebrate we went to the park and ate out at La Madeline. Again the weather was incredible, so we sat out on the patio and the kids were free to roam. I highly recommend patio seating when at all possible.
A haircut today. When J got back today I decided that after 6 months it was probably time for a trim. My hair was impossibly long and unmanageable. I love my hair long, but Repunzel length is a little ridiculous. Of course, I now have cut regret. It isn't that short but when I am used to my really long locks, any change feels drastic. I also know way too many details about a random 21 year old's life. Why can't hairdressers be more introverted?
A MAJOR score. I have been looking for a new guest bedroom comforter for months but am extremely picky and wanted something very inexpensive. While browsing through Kohl's I happened to pass a rack with clearance stuff marked at 60-80 percent off. I half-heartedly glanced at the stuff but thought I wouldn't find anything. Suddenly, it appeared. A lone bag. The picture showed a complete set I instantly loved. The brand was Laura Ashley, so I knew it was quality. The description labeled it as Queen. "Surely this is in the wrong spot," I thought. The price tag said it was $269. I knew it. As I started to put it down, a tiny red tag jumped at me. "$53.90." My first thought was to run as fast as I could. I certainly didn't need any senior citizens trying to grab this on their special 15 percent off day. (No disrespect to the elderly, but they are a rough crowd on Tuesdays at Kohl's.) I scanned the aisles frantically for a price checker, thinking if I didn't act fast enough the price was going to expire. As I reached the scanner, I tried to calm my nerves and not get my hopes up. BEEP! $53.99!!! It was on sale!!!! Even the sales lady commented she had never seen this set for such a good price. Though one doesn't usually get recognition for good bargain I have already made myself a certificate and hung it on the wall.

Overall, it was a pretty good week minus the sickness and the horrible allergies I am suffering with. You may also have noticed long stretches of sleep were a big part of the week. Sleep is always my friend. To top off the week, Gossip Girl was AMAZING this week. I watched last week's episode and this week's due to a technical glitch and they were both incredible. Finally, there are only four more days until the best part of my year starts - So You Think You Can Dance!!!! If you don't watch this show, I am sorry you have missed out in the past but now is your opportunity to make your life more complete like me.

Happy Birthday Darb!

2008-05-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

Another friend has joined the over 30 set. Darby over at A Slower Town At a Busier Pace, is now 31. Darby is another long time BFF that I have known since junior high. We got to know each other better in high school, then became good friends in college. While some friends grow apart through the years, I feel that we have grown closer as we have faced many important milestones together. I would like to share a few special things about Darby and our friendship. They are just a few because I am afraid I am sick yet again and my mind is not working very well tonight. Also, several memories are not appropriate for some parents who may read my blog:-)

Gossiping during high school sophomore English class. I don't remember anything I learned in English, but I probably could tell you all the gossip I acquired that year. This put Darby at the pinnacle of all things gossip. If I ever need info I know who to call and she knows to call me ASAP on all things I need to know.
Freshman year of college. I remember her calling and wanting to talk to Kristen, but Kristen was never there, so we started becoming close friends.
JD Wells. Weekends were spent with Suzanne and me going dancing. Wells was always our favorite spot and it was pretty much guaranteed that we would see Darb there or Harry's.
Summer after freshman year. We were in Midland and spent many nights hanging out. As I recall, our many adventures included bailing someone out of jail. To clarify, it wasn't either one of us.
Summer before junior year. As I am thinking about it, there are a lot of summer memories of our friendship. It must be because Darby always brought out the fun, carefree side of me, and what better time to be fun and carefree than summer? Anyway, the summer before junior year, Suzanne and I were without an apartment for about a month. Darby let us move into her abode where Suzanne and I slept on mattresses on the floor and Darby slept on the couch because of some back problems. It was an interesting scenario but a fun month. At one point we decided to make an impromptu trip down to Astroworld for no reason. Like I said, I always feel so carefree when I am with her, and spontaneity is usually not my strong point. Any friend that can bring out that side of you is a definite keeper.
Her wedding. It was my first real experience at being a bridesmaid and I loved every minute of it. The festivities lasted all weekend and were a blast. The best part was getting to see Darby so happy. I also certainly don't want to forget her bachelorette party a few months before in College Station. Karaoke, dancing and a few shots made the agenda that night.
My dad's funeral. She was right there for me every step of the way. As soon as she heard the news she flew out to Midland and stayed by my side.
My wedding. Again, she was there for me when I needed it most. It was her and Kristen that took me out that day before the wedding when I was literally sick with worry. She helped me regain my strength and helped me get things together.
Many girls' only weekends. She has become my go to "girls' weekend" person. We try to have an annual weekend but it has gotten a little harder in the past couple of years with new babies and her business. I can't imagine traveling with anyone else for these special weekends.
Her ability to obtain free items. No one can get freebies like she can. I envy this trait and try to study how she does it, but it is impossible to learn. It is simply a gift.
Her social gift. I have been all over Texas and even Louisiana with Darby and she always manages to find people she knows. It is simply amazing. There has also been a few times I have traveled somewhere and another random person has asked me where I am from. When they found out it was Midland, they asked me if I knew Darby. This has happened at least a few times in some very random locations. Again, I envy this about her and wished I had this gift of making everyone, even total strangers, seem like instant friends.

I don't know what I would do without Darby in my life. She makes my life more fun, more interesting and most importantly she makes me stronger.

What I learned in Preschool

2008-05-07T18:44:00.001-07:00

I am superstitious. If a black cat crosses my path I will get nervous and try to go another way, or at least convince myself it was really dark brown instead of black. I also believe that by saying something out loud you jinx yourself. This drives J insane. For example, he will comment that little man is on his best behavior when we are at a restaurant. Then, what do you know? The very next second little man is swinging from the chandelier. I swear it is true. Sure enough, I jinxed myself. A few weeks ago I wrote that I have finally made peace with staying home and felt like this is what I should be doing. Of course, I should have known by putting a statement out there like that I was going to end up with a job. And I have. I will be going back to preschool.

One of little A's four year old teachers told me she isn't returning next year because they are moving. This sparked my curiosity, so I mentioned to the director I have my teaching certification. My certification is for elementary, but it comes with the same skills needed for a preschool teacher: wearing holiday sweaters, gossiping with other teachers, writing notes to parents, and yelling at kids. Also with having two kids of my own I felt I also brought a lot to the table: wiping noses, gossiping with other parents, cleaning messes and yelling at kids. With these skills behind me, the director felt I was more than capable to taking on the job. Before I knew it, I was official and start in August.

With all my big talk about staying home, you may ask why I choose to go back to work now. Let me break it down for you, housecleaner. That's right, a housecleaner is my primary motivation. I am sick of cleaning my house. Going back to work means I am officially entitled to hire one, it is in the working mom's contract. If you work and don't have a housecleaner, you need to consult the contract and hire one right away. Add this to fact that Landen will go to school for free and he will be very lonely with Ashley at kindergarten, and it was a perfect situation. I will also be done in time to pick up the princess from school and have the same school holidays as her. To top it off, the school provides free child care when I have training several times a year. That means adult time with free child care. What more could I ask for? Well, to be honest, I have a lot more on my wish list, but I will conquer a little at each time.

To make a very long story short, yesterday I filled in for the teacher I am replacing and will be doing so again tomorrow. I learned a lot while I was there and will be sharing some little tidbits with you, but you have to wait. I can't give everything away at once, or else you wouldn't come back. So, "What I learned in Preschool" is to be continued. In the meantime, please write all your letters in upper and lower case and recite your numbers to 20. This should prepare you for the next installment.

What am I doing?

2008-05-04T20:05:00.001-07:00

For those observant readers, you are correct, it is not Wednesday. My "What am I doing Wednesday?" post is being moved to today, which is Sunday. I appreciate your understanding.

What am I watching?

I am back into the swing of things as far as my tv watching goes. My schedule is still lighter than pre-strike days, but I feel my plate is full with shows. Desperate Housewives has improved since that dismal premier; however, I haven't watched tonight's episode. The Office was good but not as funny as last week, which was possibly the best one ever. Lost and Gossip Girl were fine too but did not "wow" me. Maybe I am just hard to please. I did see a great family movie. Little A can sit through an entire non-animated film, so we are exposing her to more movies. This led us to Enchanted. It is very cute but I would not recommend it for a guy's only movie night.

What am I reading?

I just finished the Unofficial Guide to Disney World. Yes, I read the entire thing, Yes, I am weird. I have been obsessed with Disney World since I went there as a child, the last time being in the fourth grade. We are hoping to take a family vacay there sometime next year, and it is never too early to prepare for a trip of this magnitude. After all, my daily trip itineraries alone will take me weeks to prepare. Laugh all you want, but those that know me know that I am not joking.

What am I clicking?

I think every family's budget is taking a beating with these crazy gas prices. Now, I have a new buddy. At GasBuddy.com you can type in your zip and it will list all the stations in your area and their prices. Feel free to send me all the extra money you will save.

What am I listening to?

After going without a fave song for quite some time, I finally have one, See You Again. I heart this song big time. Oh, did I forget to mention the singer? Ok, I guess you will find out sooner or later. Now you will know that I am really a 12 year old trapped in a 31 year old's body. Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana) sings this fun song and I honestly didn't know it for the longest time. When I found out, I was a little embarrassed, but not enough to stop listening.

It reminds me of my roller skating days and hours spent at the roller rink. I just know if I was 12 again I would have my dad pull his car out of the garage so I could skate around and around while jamming out to Miley. He used to do that quite a bit for me. Of course at that time I think I was listening to Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam and possibly NKOTB (back then we called them New Kids on the Block). Now that I think about it, my garage is actually cleaned out right now. Maybe I will go look for those sweet white skates with the hot pink laces and wheels.......

Happy Birthday K!

2008-04-30T18:33:00.001-07:00

Today is my longtime BFF, Kristen's, special day. She is officially "over" 30 just like me. You can learn more about her over at Livin' the Duffey Life. In the meantime I thought I would share a few special memories from our many years of friendship. I don't even think she will remember some of these.......

Many years of friendship. I don't remember meeting K, but we were in the second grade. We have remained friends all these years minus a few altercations over some silly boys. Looking back, these certain boys were not even worth thinking about much less fighting about. Hindsight is 20/20.

Roommates at A&M. I don't know how this came to pass since we spent a lot of our high school years fighting, but thank goodness it did. We remained roommates all through college minus the one year she had to live at the sorority house. Since we were both in college for 5 years that would make a total of 4 years living together. I would never have believed it possible, but not only was it possible, we made a really good team.

Gossip Hotline. I think we were in the 3rd grade when we debuted our new magazine publication, Gossip Hotline. We planned to keep the elementary school gossip mills running with important information and interviews. We made two issues and I still have them. If you would like to subscribe, let me know. My need for gossip obviously started early.

San Antonio and Schlitterbahn in the 9th grade. I don't know if K will remember, but we thought we were super cool, like most 9th graders. We swore all the lifeguards at Schlitterbahn liked us. Now, I realize they probably thought we were silly little girls. Whatever the reality, it sure made for a fun trip and lots of laughter.

Cruise during high school junior year. It was my first cruise and I loved every minute of it. Of course, I was the one in bed early while K and her mom stayed out late. I have always been the responsible one!

Moving day at A&M. The first day we moved into the dorm I was just getting back from fish camp. Fish camp is fun but a very overwhelming and crazy experience. I was really nervous starting my new life at college. When I got into my car, K had put a note on my windshield. I don't know how she found my car among the thousands, but she did. I don't remember the exact wording of the note, but it was welcoming me to our new life. I will never forget that note and how good it made me feel.

Roommate Sunday. We decided we would do our roommate bonding on Sunday by going to dinner together. This lasted two Sundays, but it was a good effort.

No shoes on the carpet. We had a nice square of carpet in our dorm room. K made a strict rule to not wear shoes on it. She was relentless about it and I made fun of her. Now I realize what a good rule it was! I don't like shoes on my carpet.

Ghetto house. After K lived in the sorority house we decided it was time to get an apartment for our last two years of school. We didn't have a lot of time to look and picked something pretty quickly. It was not exactly nice on the outside, but we loved it. It was two story townhouse with a laundry room. What more did we need? We just had to ignore fading and peeling paint on the outside and really horrible carpet on the inside.

Budget Suites. I have mentioned this before, but it is always worth sharing again. K and I both had internships in Dallas one summer, so she came up to look for housing. She found a room at the Budget Suites. It sounded wonderful. Two bedrooms, maid service, pool, fitness center; all the amenities you could ask for. They were also willing to let us live there short term without hefty fees, which was the biggest selling point. Upon arriving we had to flip a coin for the bedrooms. You see, one bedroom had a big hole in it overlooking the living room. I lost the coin flip, but in the end I think I actually got the better deal. We had decided that whoever got that hole bedroom would get to set the living room rules. I am all about rules, so I had a few.

Shaggin' Wagon. K had a wreck (while talking to me on the phone) and I headed over to keep her company at the rental car company. Apparently, there was a big run on rental cars this certain day and nothing was available. K noticed there was a big, white cargo van sitting out in the parking lot. It was the type that had no window. Seeing the wheels turn in her head, she asked the agent if she could use that car. He looked at us like we were crazy, but a few minutes later we were driving off in what we proclaimed the "Shaggin' Wagon." Don't worry moms, there was no "shaggin'" taking place, just a fun name. We had so much fun with that van. That night we cruised around Northgate, where all the bars were, honking and waving at everyone. At one point we saw a guy walking to his car from a campus building. We pulled up next to him and pretended to know him. This was made even easier by the fact he was wearing a nametag. You could tell he was totally trying to figure us out, but didn't have a clue. To top off our fun wagon experience, we hightailed it to Dallas for one of K's friend's parties. We decorated the back of the wagon with rugs, pillows, curtains and even an entire papasan chair. We drew pictures with the Shaggin' Wagon name and hung them on the outside. Two others joined us in our trek and it was an adventure. I think we even ended up sleeping in the van because there was no room at the party.

My dad's funeral. K came to Midland that very next day after she found out about my dad. I don't know what I would have done without her support. She is such a fixture in my life, that I needed her there. She stayed for several days, even missing work to be there.

My wedding. Again, I don't know what I would have done without her. There are too many little special memories from this weekend to write here, but I will always treasure that weekend with her. I remember her being so strong and in control for me, when I was a nervous wreck.

My spa weekend at the Gaylord. I didn't really want a full-blown shower for Landen, since he was my second. So, K and Darby planned a spa weekend for the girls. It was such a treat and became a tradition.

There are so many wonderful and special memories I have of our friendship. Like most long term friendships we have had our share of disagreements, but the good times outweigh them. We also don't get to see each other or talk very much because of little ones at home. It doesn't matter, we will always have a special bond. Like I have said before, we are really sisters and that is what being a sister is about - fighting, making up and always being there. Here is a picture from my wedding day. I love this picture of us. This is right before I walked down the aisle. She is obviously the one on the right, holding me up and just being there for me.

Annual Strep Party

2008-04-29T18:37:00.001-07:00

When: End of April, beginning of May
Where: My house
What: A celebration of strep throat. There will be sleeping contests, free Chloraseptic spray, and plenty of soft, mushy food for everyone.
BYOA
(Bring your own antibiotic)

As if my lingering cold was not enough, I was confirmed with having strep today. According to the doctor, I had strep this exact same time last year. At A&M we used to say if you do something once then it becomes a tradition. Since this is my second annual case of strep, I officially declare it not only a tradition, but worthy of its own party. I may be the only one attending the big fiesta but that's ok. I realize this kind of party could easily get out of control. It's not for everyone.

Tooth Fairy Blues

2008-04-26T18:56:00.001-07:00

I don't like the tooth fairy. That's right, I said it. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't always been like this, the tooth fairy and I used to be on good terms. I would lose a tooth, she would leave me money. How could I possibly not like that arrangement? Well, easy - she took a part of my little girl away this week.

The day started innocent enough with our typical schedule - gymnastics, errands, and then a meet up of friends at Chick-fil-a. Just another Friday, until suddenly little A exclaims, "my tooth hurts." I thought she might just have something caught in her tooth, until my friend asked if she had a loose tooth. I immediately hushed that silly idea, little A is too little to lose a tooth. Then, I saw it. The tooth was bloody and barely hanging on. How could this be happening? Ashley started screaming in fear. I tried to pull the tooth but was way too nervous. In an odd turn of events, my single, male neighbor happened to be eating lunch. So, my friend, Danesha called him over to pull her tooth. He actually came, ready and willing to help! Poor guy, he might be a little scarred from having children for awhile. Ashley would have none of that. Fortunately, J had just finished a test and was at home. I called and he came to our rescue. What a miracle worker! The tooth came out pristine and all was well within a few minutes. Little A was super excited about having the tooth fairy visit her last night. She drew her a picture and wrote her note asking where her tooth was going to go. It was all very sweet.

So, why does that hurt me so much? This tooth just happened to fall out the day after I had to go to a sneak peak of her kindergarten next year. I have been really excited about this, until I was actually there. Seeing all the little lockers and tables really got to me. The teachers were all super cute and nice but hearing their day's schedule made my head spin. Then there were all the forms: PTA, Handbooks, Manuscript practice, Requirements, Guidelines, How to prepare for next year.... the list could go on and on. I realized I wasn't ready for this even though Ashley is. Then, the tooth. It was like the straw that broke the camel's back. How did I get here? When did it all happen?

Don't get me wrong, I love many things about her getting older. To celebrate her big day, I took her to get her nails done with me. It melted my heart to sit next to her while we did something girlie and special for us. At the same time my heart hurt to know I would never be able to go back and hold her as a baby. Why does life have to be like that? We want our kids to grow up and be independent but at the same time yearn for them to be little forever. I am sure it seems silly to agonize over one little lost tooth but I know that this one little tooth is about to lead to another. Then, the next thing I know there will be no little teeth to pull and she will no longer be my little girl. I look forward to seeing the young lady, then the woman she will become, but I also will always be longing for that special time I will never be able to get back.

Tips

2008-04-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

They say that we learn something new every day. I learned a couple of new things yesterday. Some of these things I already knew, but it never hurts to be refreshed from time to time. Since I like to contribute to the greater good, I thought I would pass them along.

1. An entire bottle of ibuprofen is not toxic to small children

While taking a phone call for just a few minutes, I returned to find little man pointing to an empty bottle of ibuprofen in the sink and a chair he had pulled up to the counter where we had the medicine stored. We had just opened this bottle a couple of days ago. There was a little tiny bit on the floor but I asked him if drank the bottle. He replied "Yes." I looked everywhere and couldn't find any other trace of it. He loves the taste of the Berry flavor, so I knew he probably had really done it. Poison control and hubby medical student both calculated the dosing and confirmed that he would probably be ok but would need more food and water. He did have some diarrhea but overall was ok. The one positive was the super good mood he was in.

2. Don't ever turn your back on your child even while on the phone with poison control.

While on the phone, I came back in the kitchen to discover that little man had chosen this perfect time to get himself some orange juice. He opened the fridge pulled down a brand new carton of OJ and spilled the entire carton all over the floor.

3. Soup is messy.

Right after I got through cleaning all the messes, it was lunch time. I thought I would serve veggie soup to the kids. I knew at the time this wasn't the best option cleanliness wise but thought the broth and veggies would be good for little man after all the medicine. Sure enough, during our meal Ashley dumped her entire bowl all over herself and the floor. This is on top of Landen's usual mess. I also had the honor of dropping their plates filled with grapes and chips on the floor.

4. Don't wash disposable diapers.

During the course of my super day, I threw in a wash of the kids' laundry. When I went to put it in the dryer I found that two diapers had been mixed in with the load. Fortunately, these were not dirty diapers but they caused a huge mess anyway. They broke apart and those little absorbant crystals were all over my washing machine and the kids' clothes. This was another really fun cleaning task.

5. Just when you think nothing else will go wrong, it does.

At the end of the day I discovered our upstairs air conditioning is broken. It wasn't so bad last night but it is still broken tonight and is really hot up there. Landen is having a tough time falling asleep as I type because it is so warm.

That was how yesterday went around here. Those were actually the high points, there were several other minor issues that aren't even worth mentioning. Suffice to say, the fun just kept on coming. Today, I decided retail therapy was in order. I am almost healed but a nice pedicure on Saturday might really put me in full recovery.

What am I doing?

2008-04-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

Recovering from my bad day. I will tell you all about it tomorrow.

Keeping it Real

2008-04-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

Today was what I consider the BIG test. You other moms know what I am talking about. It was little man's 2 year checkup at the doctor. I know, you are sitting there acting like you don't know what I am talking about, but let's get real. Moms get very little recognition for our daily care of children, until this day. The annual checkup is when we can highlight all the wonderful things we do for our kids: "Doctor you ask if little man can walk - why yes he can! Can he use a spoon - he can do that too! Can he stack a tower of blocks - YES, YES, YES!!! He is normal. I am doing something right. You mean he also gained a few pounds and grew two inches. MY GOD, I am working miracles around here, I am keeping him alive!"

So, using this logic it only makes sense that we want to shine. Things were going well for me today. Landen weighed in at 32 lbs and measured 361/2 inches. He was in the 90th and 95th percentile respectively, which if I am not mistaken is considered a grade of A (don't bother disagreeing, my delusions are all I have). However, this category is a little biased for Landen since he was born at 10lbs. Then came the section I had been a little nervous about - food. I had come in prepared for what I would say. See, little man doesn't drink milk and don't bother writing in with your comments and suggestions, I have tried them all. I hate milk too, so why shouldn't he? Doctor's don't like this answer though, they want to ensure that kids are drinking gallons of the white stuff. Here is how this portion of my exam went:

Doctor: "So how much milk is Landen drinking?"
Me: "Well, he doesn't drink any but I do everything I can to supplement..."
Doctor: "So he eats plenty of cheese, yogurt..."
Me: (cutting her off very abruptly and loudly) OH YEAH I give him LOTS of cheese, yogurt, and...
Suddenly a sweet voice cuts me off, very loudly and distinctly
Landen: "AND MARSHMALLOWS!"

BUZZZZZZ, WRONG ANSWER! GRADE F! You must return to pregnancy and start all over with this child. He will never amount to anything with junk food like that. Actually, my doctor laughed. I love my doctor. I wish we could be best friends. She never fails me. I guess Landen is just like his father and can't keep secrets. Next year we will just have to practice more before the big test.

Going once....

2008-04-21T18:28:00.001-07:00

I haven't been so good lately at doing my week in review. Things have been pretty routine and have mostly involved a spring organization frenzy. I have gotten a lot done, but it makes for boring reviews. Here are some brief highlights from my past week.

I have been lucky enough to catch a cold and even luckier that everyone else here caught it too. It is still hanging around, even though I tried to kick it out a long time ago.
I was able to transfer little A to a better school. This has been stressing me out for some time. The school she was supposed to go to was not to my high standards and I was threatening J with private school if things did not go my way. Fortunately, everything worked out. J is thrilled we will not be paying for private school for now. It is still my goal to have them both go private one day, but for now little A is in an excellent public school.
I finished organizing the garage, Hallelujah! This was a hard job while battling a cold. It is probably one of the reasons I can't get rid of the cold. Dust and dirt are not friends with nasty cold viruses. Now, if I can just sell all the stuff in my "sell pile." If anyone is interested in any kind of electronics equipment, I have some deals for you.
On Saturday night, the kids' preschool had a fundraising dinner and auction. It was so much fun. They provided child care so we dropped the kids off and enjoyed a nice dinner of Macaroni Grill. They had a silent auction and a live auction. In the silent auction I won a professional photography session and a 11x14 print for $37 and two kids haircuts at a kid hair salon for $10. Now, those are bargains. I also went in with some other 4 year old parents to win a camp out night in one of the teacher's backyards. Little A has been begging me forever for a camp out. This way she can camp out and I can sleep in a bed. The best part of all of this was using my paddle to bid. How fun is that?? If I had more money, I think going to auctions would quickly become an addiction.
My tivo is starting to fill up with shows. Tonight, I have a new Gossip Girl, XOXO to that! Love it! The Office was very disappointing this week after a good last week and Desperate Housewives is still sitting there. I will say that we are still watching Heroes on DVD and it is probably the best television show I have ever seen. It even beats Lost as far as creativity and execution.

What am I doing?

2008-04-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

I quickly grow tired of things, some may even say I am a "quitter." That's fine, I have come to accept it. Since I embrace by quitter status I have decided to stop using my fancy WAID post title. I am over it.

So, what am I doing this week? Organizing the garage. Spare me your jealousy.

What am I watching?

I forgot to mention but some shows are back on post strike. Surprisingly, I didn't care very much. I got used to not watching tv. Of course, watching season one of Heroes on DVD helped me with my transition, and Lost was still on.

This past week I watched new episodes of Office and Desperate Housewives. Office was hilarious. I loved it; however, Housewives was awful. They are officially on probation with me.

What am I reading?

Just finished my polygamy book, so I am in between books. I received my Real Simple magazine in the mail today. I signed up for a free promo thing and am officially hooked on it.

What am I clicking?

My friend JaLisa at Life's Journeys discovered Blogthings. It has tons of fun, silly quizzes that I am totally addicted to. It helped me discover that if I were a nut, I would be a hazelnut and if I were to belong to a generation I should be a baby boomer. That explains a lot.

All in a Morning's Work

2008-04-15T20:07:00.001-07:00

Little man's To Do list from yesterday morning. He gave himself a couple of hours to get this all done.

Take a lid off of a cup of water and "accidentally" pour it on couch and big sister. Watch sister scream.
Climb precariously to reach a tall shelf containing many wooden puzzles with many wooden pieces. I really need a certain one. Result - spill puzzles with their tiny pieces everywhere.
Get into Mommy's purse and find hand sanitizer (my personal hygiene fave, you never can be too clean). Pour contents all over tile floor and spread it as far and wide as possible because I think the floor is a little dirty.
Find Daddy's aftershave and pour into his contact lens case. When Daddy needs to store his contacts at night they will smell extra good on his eyes.
Since Daddy's eyes will smell good, I will squirt some aftershave on me too and while I am at it go ahead and spritz on several of Daddy's colognes. After all I am a big boy now.
I am in the bathroom so take the opportunity to squirt nasal spray out on floor. That is cool to watch.
Mommy will need her deodorant later, so help her by opening it up. Test it out on counter to make sure it will work.
Go to guest bathroom and find kids' toothpaste. Squirt this out on my hands, to get some tactile stimulation It is so fun to be slimy.
For my grand finale, find some glue and dump contents of bottle on mommy's label maker, thus ruining it. She is way into that thing anyway.

It was an aggressive plan but he was able to accomplish every last bit of it. There is no doubt about it, my son is a "go-getter." My personal favorite was the glue on my label maker. I loved my label maker and was planning some great things for it this week while organizing the garage. J asked me where I was during all this pandemonium. Honestly, all took place within a few minutes of me turning my back. I already watch him like a hawk because I know how he is, but now I guess the only alternative is to super glue him to my hip.

Crazy Day

2008-04-11T18:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning we woke around 4 am to what I thought was a tornado. The wind was so loud it felt as though the house was going to blow over. Looking outside it looked as though we were in the midst of a hurricane. I have never seen winds like that, they were 75 mph to be exact.

As morning broke there was a lot of damage, but we luckily did not have any to our house. Two neighbors had enormous trees fall and block their garages. Amanda at Those Dandy Dillards has some pictures of her tree. Since I was still able to back out of my garage I took one neighbor's little boy to preschool and another neighbor's husband to work. All I needed was to paint my car yellow to make myself official! I really liked being able to help friends and be useful even if it was just a ride.

I can't imagine what people who really experience a major hurricane or tornado go through. Just with our brief storm, it was crazy driving around and seeing trees and power lines down everywhere. It is just amazing how helpless we are in bad weather and how great a power it is.

Long time.....

2008-04-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

I am sorry for my absence from my blogging duties. To be honest, my excuse is laziness. With post-vacation stress disorder, Easter, Landen's birthday, Landen's birthday party, and monthly deep cleaning duties I have been too tired to write. I finally feel caught up and have survived a busy few weeks. Now onto our usual routine, because I am all about routines.

Weekly WAID

For those of you just joining us, WAID stands for "What am I doing?" as in What am I doing Wednesday with the Wednesday part dropped for obvious reasons.

What am I watching?

Nothing. You heard me - nothing. That is how busy I have been. There was one night though I caught a part of a movie J was watching. It was called Idiocracy. Whatever you do PLEASE do not watch this movie. If you do happen to watch this movie and actually like it, rest assured you will be banned from ever having a conversation with me or my loved ones again. You can also count on an intervention from me. For those of you have seen it and claim you like it based on its attempt to provide a satirical comment on the way our society is headed, prepare for my wrath. I know satire and this is not it. It is directed by the same person who created Beavis and Butthead - enough said. As I write all of this, please know that my very own husband actually thought it was funny too. He is currently banned from conversing with me too - wait maybe he is getting the good end of that deal.

What am I reading?

Still on Shattered Dreams, the polygamist book. It is ironic I am reading this as the big polygamist camp was invaded this week by the FBI. I find the book interesting but the author does not write to my liking. It is also so hard for me to fathom how these women can find the arrangement acceptable. I know it is drilled into them and they are brainwashed, but I just don't see how they can live that way.

What am I clicking?

If you haven't found Pandora radio yet you need to try it out. It will match up a special song selection for you based on your music taste or fave artist. J listens to it all the time and loves it. I find it a little hit or miss but I am hard to please. Overall, I enjoy having access to a lot of variety.

What am I listening to?

Call me old school but I like Van Morrison (hey, don't blame me, blame my former hippie parents). I noticed today that for the first time his CD broke into Billboards top 10. This man has been singing for decades so he deserves some recognition. My favorite song is Into the Mystic. Once you hear it, I don't know how you can't fall in love with it.

WAID?

2008-04-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

This week instead of typing "What am I doing Wednesday?" I decided to go the abbreviation route with the cool "WAID?". Feel free to pronounce it how you like. I prefer "wade." I saw on some other people's blog they have a "Works for Me Wednesday" shortened to WFMW. So I copied the idea but thought I would drop the Wednesday to make it a real word. Now, when you wake up on Wednesday you can say, "Hey, it is WAID day over at Jenn's blog I am just dying to know what she is doing this week." It is all about efficiency people.

On to my list. As an FYI (yet another efficient abbreviation) I am currently eating some Kettle pop corn, it is yummy. If you have never tried it, go get some, you deserve it.

What am I Reading?

I finished "Pledged" and am reading "Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist Wife" by Irene Spencer. Yet another memoir. Will the madness ever stop? Unfortunately, not for a long time.

What am I Watching?

Tomorrow I will be recording the pregnant man on Oprah. I think that is "must see" tv. I also finally watched the Bachelor Update Show. It has been on my DVR for a few weeks. This show has to be the most degrading piece of filth on tv. It plays to every stereotype there is and makes women look like desperate fools all competing for one lousy guy. Do I still watch? ABSOLUTELY!

What am I clicking?

Family Fun has a great website. They have lots of recipes and activity ideas. I have been clicking on their site to find the best activities, craft ideas and healthy recipes for my children. Yes, I am a super, fabulous mother. There is no reason to dwell upon the fact that I happened to enter a free Disney cruise contest and just glanced at the recipes, crafts and activities in order to figure out how to get a prize.

What am I listening to?

Sadly, there is nothing to write about here. I just haven't been paying attention to music this week. The pregnant man story just has me all messed up in the head. I can't focus on other things.

There you have it. My WAID. Like usual, I have a super long to do list and still managed to stay in my pajamas until 3:30 today. I also managed to cross off two of my list items while taking a nap. Don't even bother asking my secret, it will go to the grave with me. Let's just say it goes back to being that "super, fabulous" person I am.

Random Thought/Question of Week

My BFF Kristen over at Duffey Life, included a random thought on her blog one time. I thought it was cute, so being the copycat I am today (see abbreviation idea above) I decided to copy.

Why is it every time I go to a pharmacy, it takes forever to get my prescription? I have been to different places, at all times of the day, every day of the week and with different numbers of people in front of me and every time it takes an eternity.

Often I will get excited when I pull up at the drive thru or go to the counter and see that there is only one person in front of me. I am soon to discover that this doesn't matter. The standard minimum 20 minute waiting period still applies. That one person in front of me has a million issues with their medicine. I just don't understand. When I go to pick up medicine, I simply state my name and I receive it immediately. Of course this is medicine I have already ordered. When you actually have to take a prescription in to get filled I hope you remember to bring supplies with you because you will be there for awhile. Food and water are a must unless you plan on buying the 5 dollar mini water bottle they have for sale.

A-HA! I just figured it out. They make you wait so you will get desperate enough to buy all those impulse items at outrageous prices. "You say the Snickers is 10 dollars? I will take it, I know I will be here awhile!"

Week In Review

2008-03-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Overall a pretty good week around here. Landen was in good spirits this week, which made my week way better. His back wisdom teeth were obviously feeling better but are still not all the way in. I am preparing myself for more grouchy times ahead.

To counteract Landen being good, Ashley was in poor spirits this week. She is still not caught up on her sleep from our trips and when she is sleep deprived, everyone knows it. On the bright side, Ashley is still very manageable even when she is in a bad mood. I am thankful I have one low maintenance child!

Jessie bought a new car this week. With gas prices being astronomical, he needed a good commuter car unlike his gas guzzling truck. We got a 2004 Honda Civic. It is really cute and drives nicely. I haven't thought of a name for it yet, but it will come to me. (For those who don't know, I like to name my cars.)

Probably the worst thing about the week was me. I have been completely "off." I started the week feeling as though I was getting a cold but I never really got one. Instead, I have had a hoarse voice and feel extremely tired. It must be allergies. To top it off, I have been clumsy and forgetful. Last night I burned hot dog buns right after J told me about 10 times not to burn them. Also, I was attacked by our faucet after the nozzle came unhooked. A force greater than a typhoon hit me in the face. It has been one thing after another all week. If I could remember it all I would share it, but forgetfulness is of course one of my problems!

Baby No More

2008-03-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Today is my little man's second birthday. Landen Jerrison turned two! These past two years have flown by and crawled at a snail's pace all at the same time. Landen has always been the exact opposite of Ashley in every way, so he really rocked our world when he came along. We were used to a quiet, calm baby. Landen is loud and crazy. He has made for some challenging days but I don't know what we would do without his sweet and fun personality. Not to mention a smile that lights up the darkest of moments. Here are some tidbits about the birthday boy:

Favorite Color: He loves pink and purple. I think this is persuaded by his older sister. It might be the only two colors he knows. Part of me was thinking he might be color blind but just today he identified Ashley's shirt as green. I guess he is just a pink and purple man.

Favorite food: Hot dogs and candy. I swear if that is all I ever gave the child, he would be perfectly content. He also likes pizza and pasta.

Favorite toys: Tools. He loves to dress up and play girlie stuff with Ashley, but if there are tools around that is what he wants to play with. His teachers are always commenting on how he is the carpenter of the class. At home he will find Jessie's screwdrivers and walk around pretending to screw the hinges on doors. If Jessie is working on something, he absolutely has to take his tool box and work with him.

Favorite sentence: "I want......" I hear this all day. He always wants something. His speech is growing by leaps and bounds by the day. He can say long sentences and identify almost anything I ask him too. He can also name most of his letters.

Favorite thing to do in car: Point out every bus and "big truck" imaginable. That boy can spot a bus or truck miles away and scream "BUS" or "BIG TRUCK" as loudly as possible until I concur that there is indeed a bus or truck.

Favorite physical activity: Climbing. If you know us and seen him in action, you know what I am talking about. He can climb better than Ashley and that is not an exaggeration.

Biggest Fears: Dogs and Cats

Favorite Parent at the moment: Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy. Did I mention Daddy? He can not get enough of Daddy.

Favorite books: He loves these little letter books that Ashley also used to love. He also likes "Trucks," "Touch and Feel Tractor," "Brown Bear," any Sandra Boynton book and those little books you get from Chick-fil-a.

Favorite Movie: He has never watched tv. I wish he would, even for a few minutes. It would have made our travels a lot easier. Even though he doesn't watch, he does have the ability to name all the characters and shows.

To sum our little man up, he is about "all-boy" as you get. He loves running, climbing, kicking balls, jumping, yelling and causing destruction. He also is very sweet and will hug everyone if they let him. This probably goes along with his very outgoing personality. He cracks us up all the time with the funny things he does and is joy and a blessing to our lives. Happy Birthday my precious baby boy!

Dickens/Head '08 Mountain Adventure

2008-03-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

Part two of our two week vacation was the main event. Like I mentioned before, Dickens/Head annual vacay had been cancelled the past two years because of new babies and school schedules. Instead of our usual adults only trips, we decided to make this year a family affair.

Our original plan was to drive the 14 hours to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. After some consideration, that plan was dropped for flying. Since Jessie has his Aunt Joye, Uncle Ken and four cousins I have never met in Atlanta, it made perfect sense to fly into Atlanta, spend a day, then drive on into Tenn, which was a four hour drive. Much more manageable and much to our surprise went relatively smoothly. Well....as smoothly as it gets with two little ones. Here are some memories from the trip. There are so many of them, I might have to write more another day.

A LOT of luggage! We had two big bags, Ashley's little bag, two car seats, a stroller, Ashley's backpack, Landen's backpack, Jessie's backpack, my bag and to top it all off - Jessie's golf bags encased in a military armor style contraption. When the rental car shuttle came to get us, he looked at all of our luggage and heaved a big, exaggerated sigh. He then got on the radio and said "Overload situation, I need backup."

Wonderful hospitality, food, and company at Aunt Joye and Uncle Ken's house. It was great to meet all the cousins and kids. There are four girl cousins and they are each married. Each couple have at least three or four kids. Add our kids to this mix and another visiting cousin and we had a party.

All the fun toys at Joye and Ken's house - a four wheeler, a trampoline, a movie theater, a Gym. a Corvette, a Harley and a boat. We got to ride the four wheeler and watch a movie in the theater. The other toys will have to wait for another visit. We decided next vacation we will just stay there.

A great aquarium in Gatlinburg. It was the best aquarium I have ever been to (and I have been to a lot). They had the most exotic collection of fish I have ever seen. To top it off, none of kids fell into the sting ray feeding pool, which was perhaps one of the bigger accomplishments of the trip.

AWESOME Dickens/Head '08 shirts. Jason and Ashley worked really hard and outdid themselves on this year's shirts. We had shirts in Cancun that we ordered online but these were a lot better. We got a lot of comments and stares when we wore them and they really helped us identify each other in a crowd.

An incredible cabin. It was so beautiful. It was three stories and had everything we could ever need - a hot tub, a big screen tv, an air hockey table, a pool table and great views.

Ober Gatlinburg. We took a big tram up the mountain to Ober, which is a ski/amusement resort. There was a really fun bobsled ride down the side of the mountain. I loved it. Even the kids went on it. Landen even rode the ski lift up to catch the ride and didn't fall out. Another major accomplishment down.

Ober Gatlinburg's less than five star restaurant. We probably should have had a clue when we couldn't even find the "acclaimed" restaurant. Upon finding it, we were the only ones there. After our waiter took our order he disappeared for a really long time. When I requested his presence, another person told me that a cook had quit so our waiter, who was about 17, was cooking our food. Hmmmm.... The food was actually fine and Ashley declared her meal the "best chicken fingers ever." Of course this is the same girl that declared the breakfast buffet at Comfort Suites the best breakfast ever. Maybe we need to expose her to more food.

Fudge, fudge and more fudge. It was our mission to find the best fudge. We had some at Ober that didn't measure up at all. Later, we bought some more in downtown. I never felt like we found the very best fudge but it was fun trying.

Pancakes, pancakes and more pancakes. Before we hit town, Jessie said he wanted to make sure and get some pancakes for breakfast at some point during the trip. Well, he was in luck. There was literally a pancake house on every corner. Pancake houses are like gas stations are here. We ate at the Flapjack House one morning and that was ok, but the Pancake Pantry in downtown was YUMMY! They were the best pancakes I have ever had.

Hillbilly Golf. One night we decided to do mini golf. Mini golf courses are a lot like the pancake houses, one on every corner. We picked one that proclaimed itself as the "most unique mini golf course in the world." I don't know about the world, but it was the most unique I have ever played on. You had to ride this tram thing to the side of the mountain where the course was. The kids loved hitting the balls around. Dickens and Heads tied.

Yahtzee. Unfortunately, the game tie was soon to be broken as we embarked on a Dickens/Head Yahtzee match. To give you an idea how this went over, in one game Jessie scored three Yahtzees and I scored three Yahtzees. It was amazing and am sure has never been done before. We were the undisputed champions. Later the boys calculated the statistics on such a feat and it was like 1 in a 5 trillion I think. I am not sure though because the girls were in the hot tub while the boys were being nerds.

Hot Tubbing. Speaking of the hot tub, we used the hot tub every night. That is what I call a vacation. The small B.B gun pellets we found in the water were a little disturbing and caused us to ponder how they got there, but did not force any kind of evacuation of the tub.

Girls Day Out. Another true vacation moment was when I indulged in a facial and a massage at the local spa. It was a little different than some of the spas I have been too, but still relaxing.

Boys Day Out. Don't worry, Jessie got his indulgence too. The boys played golf one day while we took the kids to a petting zoo. My kids were of course scared to death of all the animals. Ashley did get to ride on a little pony named Smokey. I didn't know until I paid that I was the one responsible for the leading the pony around. Those of you who know me, know I am not exactly an animal person. I did manage to lead that little pony around and didn't even step in any horse poop. Check another major accomplishment off the list.

Bandits and a Southern Belle. To commemorate our trip, we took the kids to get their "old time photo" done. Again, these are like the mini golf and pancake houses, there are plenty to choose from. Jackson didn't care for the costume too much but the picture turned out great. It makes me laugh every time I look at it.

Motion sickness. Neither one of us had third row seats so two people had to sit in the back cargo area. I always ended up being one of those people and I would get terrible motion sickness.

Food City. I think I visited that store at least a dozen times.

Wedding chapels. BFF Ashley loves wedding stuff as much as I do, so on our girls day out we went and looked at a couple of chapels. I had no idea it was such a popular wedding destination.

Psalty. The Heads brought this video for the kids to watch. It is a Christian video and I am not against Christian kid videos in any form or fashion. However, I am against gargantuan sized noses that blow confetti out of its nostrils when it is time to praise the Lord. It is not bad enough that Psalty's costume is enough to give me nightmares the rest of my life, but his partner in praise is a huge nose. At one point, this nose come alive and walks on its own. Call me old fashioned, but Jesus and enormous noses don't work for me.

Super nice people. I think Tenn has the nicest people in the world. Everyone we came across was sincerely friendly. I really loved their accents. Maybe that is what made them seem so friendly. Everything sounds better with an accent.

New catchphrases. The first night Little Ashley got in the hot tub with us she declared it was hot, "Hot like a dolphin." So, pass it around. All the cool kids are saying it.

Fans. When I sleep I have to have a fan on to block out noise. It used to drive my BFF and college roommate, Kristen, nuts. It turns out there are a lot of closet fan sleepers. When we arrived I looked at the fans at Food City and a big, burly man pulled one down from the shelf. He told me that he could not sleep without his fan. The next day I went back for the fan, after I indeed could not sleep without it. I had to ask another man to help me get it down. He asked if I was on vacation and told me he couldn't sleep without a fan either. So, I say it is time to make a stand. All of you fellow fan sleepers come out and be proud.

Jessie, the Mountain Man. For some insane reason, the boys decided to take two 2 year olds and a four year old princess girl on a 1. 3 mile (each way) hike to see a waterfall. It went up a mountain so high that a sign half way up warned "Danger, Child Deaths Have Occurred." I was at the spa this day, otherwise there is no way we would have done this hike. However, Jessie is relentless about the kids' exposure to nature, especially when a waterfall is at stake. The hike was every bit of a disaster as you could imagine. Landen was hard to contain and Ashley didn't want to walk. She is a big time diva, no walking, no bugs, and no sweating are her motto's. Jessie ended up carrying both kids at the same time, the majority of the trail. Now that is a weight loss program.

Babyland General Hospital. As a child I loved Cabbage Patch Kids. I had several of them. It would have been my dream to go to the actual place they are made. Well, Ashley got to live my dream. Uncle Ken told me that the hospital where the kids are "born" was only about an hour from their house. On our way back we took the slight detour and arrived. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind. In fact, most people would probably pass by and never give the small little building another glance. Inside, it was just a bunch of dolls. I thought we were going to see the kids being made but it was just a fancy store. Ashley and Landen both loved playing with the dolls though, until I found out one of these "original" kids was between $175 and 350 each. I put an end to that playing. We also got to see a kid being born. They do a little show where a doll pops out of a cabbage. Ashley got to name her. There is now a kid that bears the name Ashley Abigail. If I had been willing to pay a million dollars she could have been all ours. Of course, we couldn't leave without something. Ashley got her first "toy" Cabbage Patch. It was the more reasonably priced $20. To make a long story short, we traveled hundreds of miles to buy Ashley a $20 doll that we could have bought 2 miles from here at Toys R US.

It was a wonderful trip. All the exhaustion was worth all the fun we had and we can't wait for our next adventure with the Heads. Here is a pic of us in our shirts. The front of the shirts are cars with each person's head stuck on a person. The sleeve had another car with the opposite fam's pics. On the back it summed up the trip perfectly:

Dickens Head Vacation

1. Miles to Smokey Mountains: 1339

2. Hours in car with screaming kids: 21 (the kids' shirts said Hours in car with boring parents!)

3. Potty breaks along the way: 32

4. Dickens Heads together in the wilderness: Priceless!

San Antonio

2008-03-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

The first part of our vacation took us to San Antonio. At first, I was worried we were possibly overdoing the whole vacation thing by adding a few days in San Antonio before our mountain trip, but now I am glad we went. Everything turned out great. Here are some events from the trip.

A fun drive down as described in my Dr. Pepper Dreams post.
Upon arriving in San Antonio, it was late and we just wanted food fast. We chose a mall because we knew there would be a lot of options for the kids. After arriving and walking for a few minutes, it became obvious we were out of our element. I was a tad scared for my life as some unsavory characters looked at us in disdain. Needless to say, this was our first and last visit to this mall.

More unsavoriness followed us at a local arcade. We had a little bit of time one day, so we decided to let the kids play a few games. I think our first hint of sketchiness should have been the two guys that looked like they were 17 with three kids in tow. One of the kids, a baby, about 8 months was set on the floor and allowed to just crawl around the arcade himself without any supervision. I think that qualifies as sketchy behavior.

On our second day of the trip we took the kids to the zoo. It was a lot of fun. There was a butterfly exhibit where you could walk into a special tent and see tons of beautiful butterflies. I have been to something like this here in town but the butterflies at this exhibit were really incredible. At one point Landen reached down to touch one and I am pretty sure he squashed it to death. The butterfly was still moving a little but I don't think it was going to last. We left very quickly. I was sure we were going to be taken in by the high butterfly security they had going on. These people searched us going in and going out. If they knew we had killed a butterfly, I am pretty sure we wouldn't be seeing anyone again.

At the zoo was a little train stop that promised a train ride around Breckenridge park. All day Ashley wanted to ride this train. She didn't care about anything else but getting on that train. When it came time to ride we had to wait in line forever. As the train approached the stop, Jessie proclaimed, "That's it??" It was not exactly the train we pictured but much, much smaller. Some might even question the use of the term "train" to describe this particular ride. False advertisement comes to mind. It didn't matter to the kids, they still loved it.

When you go to San Antonio one of the best parts is eating. I had purposely avoided Mexican food for a couple of weeks so I could be prepared for all the yummy food I was going to eat. We ate at Casa Rio on the riverwalk a personal fave of mine that Jessie didn't care for. Off the riverwalk we ate at Alamo Cafe which had to die for tortillas and queso. I have decided that there is just not one perfect Mexican food place. Each place has their own strengths. For example, Casa Rio has awesome enchiladas but the salsa is a little lacking. Alamo cafe had great tortillas and queso but the food was lacking. Why can't there be one perfect place??? If you know about one, let me know.

We did take the kids to the riverwalk. I was nervous about this because when Landen sees water he wants to touch it. I could just envision my son falling head first into that dirty water. I had nothing to worry about though, the kids both survived. They especially loved the bridges that crossed over the water.

If you go to San Antonio with kids I highly recommend taking them to the Children's museum in downtown. It was the best children's museum I have ever been to. It was raining on the day we had planned to go to Sea World, but this turned out to be the best rainy day activity. They had the neatest exhibits, like a real plane the kids could sit in and fly.

Because of the rain our Sea World trip got postponed by a day. This turned out to be for the best because the weather was absolutely gorgeous and there were no crowds. The kids loved Sea World. Even Landen sat and watched all the shows quietly. They were mesmerized. I think both of their favorite parts was feeding the dolphins and Jessie's favorite part was the free beer in the beer house.

Of course our trip wouldn't be complete without one poop incident. One evening after the kids had gone swimming, they were playing in the bath. Landen had not had a poopy diaper in a couple of days, so he was due for one. As I was sitting on the computer I heard the familiar noises. I yelled at Jessie to get him out but it was too late. The damage had been done. Jessie ended up having to use a spoon to scoop it out of the drain.
The trip was extremely exhausting. We never put Landen down for a nap because we were always out. At night, he didn't like his pack and play and wouldn't go to bed very easily. So, we were on the go all day until about 11 at night and then started back up again at about 9.
The best part of the trip was hearing Ashley's responses to everything. This is the first vacation where she is fully aware of everything. She was always saying things like "this is the best breakfast ever," when in fact it was the worst breakfast I had ever had. She declared " I want to live at this hotel forever," when I don't care if I ever see another hotel again. And on everything we did she proclaimed "this is the funnest thing I have ever done." Just for all of that excitement, it made the exhaustion worth it.

I am including the only family photo we got of the trip. If you notice, Jessie's hand is in a tight fist. I think the long days with the kids and myself stressed him out a little.

Sneak Peak

2008-03-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

To tide you over until I share more about our trip, here is a pic from our travels. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.

No Place Like Home

2008-03-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

After two solid weeks of traveling, we have made it home. San Antonio and Dickens/Head '08 Mountain Extravaganza were both a blast but extremely exhausting. All of our travel was relatively smooth and the kids did pretty well considering the lack of sleep and constant activity they faced. I know you are eager to hear all about it, but I need to collect my thoughts and get some sleep before I can share all of our adventures.

P.S. I think one of the best things about going on vacation for a long time is the amount of mail you collect. I had our mail held and the postman delivered it today. It was a HUGE bundle. I just love mail and I love the 10 magazines I pulled out even more. It was like Christmas morning!

Tag

2008-03-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

We survived part one of the 2008 Dickens family vacation marathon. We arrived at 11 pm last night and I have spent the entire day preparing for part two. Tomorrow we fly to Atlanta to spend a day with J's aunt, uncle and cousins. Then we will drive to Tennessee for the Dickens/Head annual vacation. Dickens/Head annual vacation had to take a break for the past two years, but we have been resurrected. A cabin awaits us in the Smoky Mountains. I am not sure if I will have Internet access, so if you see a lack of posts I direct you over to J's blog at The Family Guy. He can post pics using his phone. I will be back in full force next Thurs.

Now on to more important matters, I have been tagged!! It is so awesome. I haven't been tagged in years. For those of you new to blogging (for example - my mom), when you are tagged, that means someone has invited me to answer questions or follow their lead on their blog. I feel so honored to have Michelle tag me.

What I was doing 10 years ago?

It was the second semester of my junior year at A&M. I was living in the University Commons apartments with Suzanne. We were so excited about these apartments because we each got our own bedroom and thought it was party central. We were right on that. Unfortunately, there was a fire alarm that was easily pulled by any drunk party attendee. So, on weekends and many weeknights our fire alarm would shriek as loudly as you can imagine at all hours. It was torture. I eventually hammered a pillow over the siren but it still didn't help.

I think the most surprising thing to note about me 10 years ago is the fact that I hardly ever watched tv, didn't care about celebrities, didn't have any magazine subscriptions, didn't use the Internet, didn't email and didn't have a cell phone. What kind of world was I living in???? It is amazing to think how far we have come in such a short amount of time. I can not imagine my life without our modern technologies. At the same time, I do miss the old fashioned letters I used to receive and write to friends.

As for the tv, I did watch Friends but that was the only show I remember watching. Now, I am addicted to tv, celebrity gossip and magazines. These interests developed when I started working and had more time to read and do other things besides study and go out with friends.

5 Things on To Do List

My list today was crazy long. Here are just 5 selections:

Laundry from San Antonio, Pack for tomorrow, Mail Landen's invites, Buy 2 new bags for trip, Make baggage tags

My Favorite Snacks

I am not a big snack person. I prefer to eat a solid meal. If I have to snack I usually eat a piece of bread with butter and maybe a piece of cheese. Of course I love chocolate and sweets and could always eat these for snacks.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire

My list would be endless. I would give tons of money away to all my closest family members (you might want to start kissing up just in case...). I would also make sure the kids were taken care of for a good education and in the future. I would also give money to several of my favorite charities. Of course I would save a lot to make sure we never ran out. Finally, I would just have fun by traveling and buying myself and the people I love things they wanted.

3 Bad Habits

1. I leave the cap or lid off of things.

2. I take a nap most days when Landen takes a nap.

3. I can be wasteful. My first instinct is to always buy something new rather than look and see what we have to use.

5 Places I have Lived

Midland, TX; College Station, TX; Dallas, TX; Plano, TX; and Denver CO for a brief time.

5 Jobs I have had

Assistant Manager of a bridal store; Assistant to the Brand Manager at the Association of Former Students; Assistant Buyer at Neiman Marcus; Account Manager in Public relations; Assistant Recruiting Admin at a law firm.

I just noticed there is a lot of "Assistant" titles. I guess I was just preparing myself for the permanent personal assistant job I have taken on around here.

Now I answered my tag, I now tag the following people, Amanda, Kristen, JaLisa, Brit, Jessie, Amy, Sarah, and Darby.

Dr Pepper Dreams

2008-03-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

After two years without a vacation we have decided to cram it all into two weeks. J gets two weeks off for spring break before he has to hit the books super hard, so why not hit the road? Well, one reason not to would be the two year old who won't go to bed in the next room. It is 10:00 as I type. He has been up since 6:30 and only slept for about 30 minutes in the car. The boy needs to sleep. Right now, him and Ashley are in bed together, much to my chagrin. It is the only place he will lay without screaming. At least we have a suite.

Our first day of the Dickens' road trip started out good. We stopped in Waco for some Rudy's BBQ. Mind you, we can eat at Rudy's fairly close to our house, but things always taste better on the road. The kids were well behaved and my brisket was to die for. After Rudy's we took a mini tour of Baylor. The kids loved a bear statue but we didn't actually see the real bear. Oh how easily they are entertained. Waco could have been our final vacation spot.

Once we had our fill of bears, we headed over to the spot I had been looking forward to all day, the Dr Pepper museum. Waco was where the magic all started. We paid our overpriced admission tickets to see the original bottling plant. It was interesting for me to see all the old memorabilia, but J and the kids were unaffected. The best part for them was the real soda fountain. They made our Peppers the old fashioned way, with real syrup and pure soda water. To be honest, it tasted like any other Dr Pepper, but still was exciting to me, a true Pepper lover. FYI, originally Dr Peppers were called "Wacos" since that was the only place you could find them. People would go to the bar and say "Shoot me a Waco."

Once we arrived in San Antonio it was late and happened to hit bad traffic. We were tired and hungry and decided the mall close by the hotel was the best place to eat for the kids. This mall was not the usual mall we were used to. It was a little sketchy to say the least, but we survived. Now, we are back at the hotel and baby boy will just not go to sleep. We are trying to "go with the flow" but it isn't very easy. I am quickly remembering why we haven't traveled much in the past couple of years.

Like I said, we will be traveling on and off for the next two weeks. We have San Antonio for the next couple of days and later a brief stop in Atlanta followed by a cabin in the Smoky Mountains for a Dickens/Head annual vacay. If you want to follow our many adventures the next two weeks keep checking for updates and you can always go to J's blog at the Family Guy for pics.

What am I doing Wednesday

2008-03-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

Is it Wednesday already? How did it come around so quickly? Oh yeah, I have a million things to do, so the week just zooms by. When my to do list is shorter the week drags by.

What I am watching

Still loving Heroes. We watched the entire second disc of season two on Friday night, all four hours of it. I believe Real Housewives of New York premiered this week too, but I missed it. I forgot to Tivo it, but will catch it on one of the thousand reruns they no doubt will show.

What I am reading

I finished Waiting and am now onto Pledged, The Secret Life of Sororities by Alexandra Robbins. I told you there would be a pattern in my reading. I like to call it my "memoir period." I still owe you reviews for Martha and Waiting, they will come one day.

What I am clicking

I guess I will take a break from sharing my celeb sites with you and direct you to something more worthwhile. I came across Blurb awhile back and it looks like it can be a really great gift idea (mom close your eyes while reading this part). You can make and print your own little book with pictures. I think this would really make the grandparents cry.

What I am listening to

I like the Jack Johnson song, Flake. The best part is it features Ben Harper. I love Ben Harper, it reminds me of when J and I started dating.

Momnesia

2008-03-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

I thought I was losing my mind. Before kids I had close to a "photographic memory." It was the only way I managed to make good grades in school. I never really knew how to use logic and problem solving skills, it was all memorization. Now, I can't remember a thing, especially anything pre-baby years. Apparently, other moms feel the same way (a.k.a. Kristen's comment in How it All Started). If you click here there is officially a name and even a research study for it, "momnesia." Hallelujah, we aren't crazy! It even goes as far to say that we may be ditzy but that just means we are better moms. How great is that?? Baby brain is real and it is here to stay, so come along and join me for the ride. Maybe we will remember each other tomorrow.

A Contest in the Snow

2008-03-03T19:50:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for contests, especially when a new bag is at stake. I need a new bag desperately. To be honest, I always feel like I need a new bag. I have a serious bag problem. I never feel like I have enough. Anyway, click on 5 Minutes for Mom to enter. The bag is gorgeous.

It is snowing. We were wearing shorts yesterday, how weird is that? Only in Texas. What is even weirder is how life turns out. I remember as a kid praying that school would be cancelled due to snow. Nothing was better than a snow day. Unfortunately, I never got very many. Now, I find myself praying school won't be cancelled tomorrow. I have a million things to do, my kids have to go to school. I wonder who I can call about that?

How it All Started

2008-03-02T20:16:00.000-08:00

Six years ago today J was a very lucky man. He got to pledge his life away to yours truly. I don't think he quite knew what he was getting into to, but thankfully he has stuck it out. Since it is such a special day, I will not be doing my usual week in review (please contain your disappointment). Instead, I thought I would share the story of how we met.What better way to reflect on your anniversary than to go back to where it all started....that little romantic hideaway....Stan's Blue Note. Yes, we met at a bar. So, go ahead get comfortable. Pour your favorite glass of wine, put on some soft music and get ready for a love story.

It was the summer of 1999 and I was interning at a public relations firm in Dallas. Fortunately, my college roommate and long time BFF, Kristen, also had an internship. So, we (meaning, Kristen) procured some fine living quarters at a local community. It came complete with weekly maid service, a pool, a hot tub, a fitness center and was in a good location. It just happened to be named the Budget Suites. Anyway, rumor had it that on the first Wednesday of the month the Dallas A&M Club hosted a happy hour and it was THE place to be for Aggies in the area. Kristen and I decided that since we were die hard Aggies we would be attending.

The first Wednesday of July rolled around and I was enjoying my summer living in the big city and working a real job (I was naive about the working thing). The plan was to still attend the Aggie happy hour. As the day progressed I started getting tired and thought about skipping the happy hour but Kristen called to ensure my attendance. I was still a little hesitant but at the same time felt like I needed to go because she was going to be waiting on me. As 5:00 approached and I headed out the door I noticed huge, dark rain clouds lingering in the sky. Was this an omen? No, I must keep going, Kristen is waiting for me. I was driving down to lower Greenville, when the clouds opened and a massive rain storm flooded upon me. Remember, I am a small town girl and was not used to driving in the big city, let alone in a big storm. After about an hour and a half of death clenched driving (the drive should have only taken me about 20 minutes) I made it to Greenville only to realize I was completely lost and confused about parking. It was another 30 minutes before I even found a space.

At this point, I seriously considered giving up and just going home. I was near tears and stressed beyond belief, but for some reason I kept going. I was just about to cross the street to the bar when a car drove by and splashed me with muddy water. At this point in the story you probably are thinking I am making this up, it sounds like a movie, but honest to goodness it is all true, every last bit of it. I am not embellishing at all. So, there I was standing on the corner wet and seriously unhappy, but again I kept going. Luckily I was wearing a black suit that seemed to absorb a lot of the water but there was mud on the purple shirt I was wearing under my suit. To make myself presentable, I went into the bathroom and turned my shirt around backwards so the mud wouldn't show. My hair was still frizzy and I have never felt worse, but what the heck, I was here now.

After I got cleaned up I found Kristen and she told me that a friend of hers had a table upstairs and we should go sit with them. I was not in the mood to really talk but went along with her, after all I had come this far. As we walked up the stairs, I rounded the corner and the first person I saw at the table was Jessie. I remember my immediate thought was "I am going to marry him."' I have heard people say this before and never believed it until it happened to me. That night we talked and talked. I was the one who offered my number. Jessie says he didn't think I was interested in him, so he didn't ask me for my number. Whatever. We had our first date a few days later where we met at Copeland's for lunch. From this point, our relationship was very off and on for about a year. When I came back to Dallas after graduating was when we became inseparable.

So, there you have it, the story of us. It may not be the most interesting or romantic story but it will always be the most romantic, wonderful story to me. Here is a picture of the cutest couple ever. When looking for a picture I realized there aren't any of just us two that have been taken with our digital camera. This is the only one I could find and it is from 2005. We were in Cancun, which should explain the sunburned faces and frizzy hair.

What am I doing Wednesday

2008-02-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Due to a knife injury I am unable to type a lot (I love to maintain an air of mystery). So, this will be brief.

What am I watching?
We got the first season of Heroes on DVD. We have only seen the first two episodes but I love it.

What am I reading?
I finally finished Martha and a review will come soon. Now, I am reading Waiting, The True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsburg. After my browsing session at Half Price Books, I discovered a love for the social science section. Therefore, you will probably start seeing a theme in what I am reading.

What am I clicking?
Lil Sugar is a fun little blog I came across. It has interesting posts on mommy and kid stuff.

What am I listening to?
I heard Private Conversations by Lyle Lovett the other day in a store and was reminded how much I love this song. I have a little something special for Lyle. I once had the opportunity to meet him while organizing a Bonfire Relief Concert at the Association of Former Students. He is a very nice person, I can see why Julia fell for him - hair and all. The link is a little strange, but J will absolutely love it!

Family Guy

2008-02-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

Jessie has decided to enter the blogging world. He just couldn't stay away from all the fun I am having. Since he is my husband I feel obligated to share his blog with everyone, even though I am not happy about the pictures of me. They are far from flattering since they are taken from his cell phone. Regardless, you can find him at The Family Guy.

Last Week in Review

2008-02-25T19:59:00.000-08:00

I am a little late with my week in review because I was at an Oscar party last night. Better late than never, here is my last week in review.

What was Good

A big box of brand new kid clothes delivered to my house. It was from Old Navy's 40% baby and kids' sale. I ended up taking about half of them back, but seeing so many new, cute outfits had me on cloud nine.
A nice birthday evening for Jessie. Yummy fajitas followed by a good game with his parents made for a fun night.
An incredible dinner on Saturday night for our annual Anniversary/Jessie Birthday/Valentines celebration. I had filet mignon, a loaded baked potato and a fabulous cake dessert. What a treat! To top it off, we were without children.
Winning lots of quarter bets at the aforementioned Oscar party.
Being able to work out after a week off. No, I don't really enjoy exercising. I enjoy being able to drop the kids off in the kids center and watch Oprah while I walk on the treadmill.
An opportunity to take Ashley to a birthday party by myself. We don't get to spend a lot of time just the two of us.
Making the decision to fly to our upcoming vacation destination. This has eased my mind tremendously. Spending 14 hours in a car with two kids didn't exactly scream fun to me.
Another possible mini vacation to plan.
The chance to spend a couple of hours browsing Half Price books. Nothing relaxes me more than spending time in a book store, especially when it is a cheap book store.

What was Bad

Landen was feeling better but still managed to be very frustrating on several occasions. Terrible Two's are in full force around here and I ran out of patience when Ashley was two. So, I am in big trouble.
Ashley being terrified of Chuck E Cheese at the birthday party on Saturday. She loves that place but is scared to death of costumed characters. When Chuck came out for the big birthday show, Ashley was curled up in my lap. I feel so bad for her, but at the same time am a little embarrassed my child is the only one afraid. She gets this irrational fear thing from me. My mother and I were once kicked out of a haunted house when I was little because E.T. came out. Yes, you read that correctly. It was not a vampire or a witch; it was the costumed character, E.T. How sad is that?
Lots of things on my "to do" list that are not getting done. I have been working on decorating Landen's room forever and I can't seem to finish. I am very frustrated. Now I have these two vacations, a birthday party to plan and Easter looming. I just don't see the list getting any shorter.

What am I doing Wednesday

2008-02-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is already Wednesday again. Here is what I am doing this week......

What am I watching?

I am still trying to make it through my 13 episodes of Jon and Kate Plus 8 (I watched 2, how pathetic is that?). I also saw Gone Baby Gone this week. It is very disturbing on so many levels, but a well made movie.

What am I reading?

Martha's Homekeeping Handbook is still gracing my nightstand. I wasn't kidding when I said Martha's book was huge. Hopefully, I will finish it soon so I can move on to something else. I did get my All You magazine today, so I will be reading that tonight.

What am I clicking?

I am all about shoes this week for some reason. I got an advertisement for a new site that is from the same company of Gap and Old Navy. It is PiperLime. They have free shipping and free returns, both of which make me giggly just thinking about. I also got an email that it is BOGO time (buy one get one half off) at Payless. With two kids who seem to grow out of their shoes daily, it is nice to have some good online places to shop.

What am I listening to?

I have never been a huge Matchbox 20 fan but I love one of their newer songs, How Far We Have Come. Every time I hear it I want to run around and get lots of things accomplished. Make sure you understand that clarification - it makes me WANT to get things done, things don't actually get done.

32 Things About Jessie

2008-02-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

Today is J's 32nd birthday. I realized that I have known him since he was 23 and I was 22. That is so weird to think about. We have both come so far. To honor him I thought I would share 32 things about him that are special, unique or just something you might not know.

1. No one can eat cereal like Jessie. He once won a cereal eating contest in college by eating 16 bowls of Cocoa Puffs. Even to this day he can eat bowl after bowl. I have never understood it.
2. He has an interesting habit of leaving cabinet doors open. I always know where he has been in the house because the doors leave a trail. Sometimes I mention it to him, other times I just close them. To be fair, I have a habit of leaving caps off of things, which drives him equally crazy.
3. He is very ambitious, motivated and a hard worker. He inspires me.
4. He reads my gossip magazines. He claims it is so we will have something to talk about but I know he just reads them because he likes them.
5. He is the smartest person I know.
6. He would sacrifice anything for a good cookies and cream milkshake.
7. He is a wonderful father.
8. Notting Hill is his favorite movie; however, he loves all kinds of movie. He will sit the longest period of time while watching a movie.
9. He is my best friend.
10. Even though he was raised with all boys and has no clue what it means to be a girl, he is very understanding of little A and me being girly. Reading princess books and letting little A do his hair are common occurrences. He also pretends to appreciate my pedicures.
11. Loves going to the lake and wakeboarding. His boat was lovingly called "Jer" (Jennifer's engagement ring) because he bought it instead of buying me a ring. Eventually, I got the ring, but the boat is obviously very important to him.
12. Can play "8 Days of the Week" by the Beatles on the guitar very well, but nothing else.
13. Will try anything, even "apple water" in Mexico.
14. Can't tell a lie or keep a secret.
15. A clown was his go to Halloween costume as a child.
16. Has played every sport imaginable but excelled at football. He always regrets not playing in college.
17. Is extremely supportive of my choices. He has never pressured me to work or stay at home. He just tells me to do what makes me happy and means it.
18. Comes up with lots of invention ideas, probably at least two or three a week. I think he was Thomas Edison in a previous life. I think his "mint dispenser" is my favorite.
19. He has a better eye for decoration and design than me. I usually don't shop for home stuff without him.
20. He is always making me laugh and laughs at my corny jokes.
21. He understands the importance of us each doing things on our own and together.
22. He will watch the same shows I do. Right now I am trying to get him interested in Gossip Girl. So, he is watching the reruns with me even though I don't think he likes it.
23. He dances with me and the kids.
24. He has eclectic music taste like me, so it is always fun to compare our music finds.
25. He loves root beer.
26. Once told me that all he needs to live is "hugs and snacks."
27. Always tells me how beautiful I look even when I know I don't.
28. Is a big time pack rat but tries to change for me since I hate clutter.
29. Can not sit still, he must always be working on something.
30. Loves golf.
31. Will do anything silly to make the kids laugh, and gives them lots of hugs and kisses.
32. Is my true love.

Happy Birthday Hubby! May we each keep growing with each other and getting better with age!

Week In Review

2008-02-17T20:07:00.001-08:00

What was Good

Landen still sleeping in until 8 or 8:30, I LOVE it!
A fairly easy transition to a big boy bed (knock on wood).
A nice Valentine's Day with the family
A night out with just J and me on Saturday night. It was for a school related dinner but still a great opportunity for an adults only event with free food.
A "stress-free" weekend since J had his test on Friday.
Yummy chocolates in the mail from MiMi (my mom) for Valentine's.

What was Bad

A sick child. So, we were stuck at home all week.
L being extremely irritable with his sickness.
Me being extremely irritable with his sickness.
Hearing the chocolates that Mimi sent calling me to eat them. I have been so good on my diet and the chocolates are evil.
Feeling really old at the school dinner. Most of J's fellow students are around 22, so I feel like the old lady crashing the party. It was really cute to see some newly engaged couples talk about their upcoming weddings with such excitement. I remember those days. Young and in love and having no clue what lies ahead!

I give today a "B"

2008-02-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

A New Blogger

My old time BFF, Kristen, has joined the blogging world. Kristen and I have known each other since second grade and lived together four years during college. I tell everyone, she doesn't really count as a friend, she is family. She also credits me as her blog inspiration, so for that flattery she gets her own little free publicity section here. Check her out at Livin' The Duffey Life.

A Big Boy Bed

Little man moved into his "big boy bed" today. During nap he insisted on sleeping in the twin bed we have his room. Since he showed such interest we went ahead and converted his crib into a toddler bed. I must admit I was not ready for this. We actually moved Ashley into the toddler bed when she was only 18 months old, but L is way more active and accident prone. I was trying to keep him as contained as possible but he wouldn't have it. He has been climbing out of his crib for days now. Kids just have their own timetable. He is just getting too big for his britches.

A Big Question

I am adding another new series. On Fridays I will be asking a question to my readers. It can be anything. So, if anyone else has a question they want to throw out there for a future week, please feel free. In fact, I would love to have lots of questions about all sorts of subjects (G rated of course) so we can all share our own perspectives with each other. With all of that buildup here is this week's Big Question of the Week.......

We will be traveling to Eastern Tennessee next month from Dallas. Does anyone have any suggestions for things to do or see along the way?

Happy Valentine's Day to Me!

2008-02-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

What a great Valentine's Day. I found out the new season of So You Think You Can Dance starts on May 22!!!! This is probably my favorite show of all time (along with several other favorite shows of all time). I even got to see the Live tour back in November, along with all the other pre-teens in the metroplex.

To top off my good news, J took a study break (big test tomorrow) and we all enjoyed a fine meal a la Corner Bakery. Before, we dug into our gourmet dishes I toasted all of us with "To my favorite Valentines." All of our plastic glasses then met in the middle as we let out a resounding "Cheers!" Even little man lifted his glass up. Who needs fancy gifts, flowers, and romance? I have all the love I need... right here...with my ham on pretzel and little people dancing in a booth.

Here's to hoping your Valentine's was as sweet as mine.

***Yes I do have two sweet little Valentines, but one chose to not be in the picture. He is still sick and wanted to look his best before a picture.

What am I doing Wednesday?

2008-02-13T20:03:00.000-08:00

Valentines, Valentines and more Valentines. We started the week decorating some Valentine's Day cookies and I have spent all day making 60 chocolate chip cookie dough truffles for the kids' 6 teachers. Tonight, I have spent the entire night making 37 little goodie bags for the kids' party tomorrow. To top all of this fun off, I have had a sick child and am not feeling so great myself. When will the fun end?

What am I watching this week?

This past week has brought us the end of the writer's strike - Hallelujah!!!! Finally, I can reclaim some of my pre-strike, nightly vegetative state. In the meantime, if you are still not watching Lost, I just don't know what to say. I am also watching Jon and Kate Plus 8. Ok, to be honest I haven't had time to watch it, but I do have 13 new episodes saved on my DVR. I love this show because no matter how much I feel overwhelmed, at least I know I don't have 8 kids.

What am I reading this week?

I am reading Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. Never mind that the lady is a previous incarcerated criminal and probably has not cleaned her own home in several decades, she can write one mean book. I swear this thing is bigger than one of J's medical textbooks. After I am done, there is no doubt my homekeeping abilities will be on par with Martha's, or at least I can pretend.

What am I clicking this week?

Continuing on with my celebrity clicks, I highly recommend TMZ.com if you are as obsessed with celebrity news as I am. There is no other place that gives you more up to date celebrity news. They are always the first to break the big stuff.

What am I listening to this week?

I can not get enough of Apologize by One Republic. I know this song has been out forever but after a particular scene in Gossip Girl (one of my favorite scenes of all time) it quickly shot up to one of my favorites. They overplay it on the radio, but every time I hear it, I just have to listen.

More About Me

2008-02-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

You are probably wondering where my new series "What am I doing?" is this week. Do not worry, I decided to move it to Wednesdays. I figure, I don't even know what I am doing at the beginning of the week. So, you can be on the look out for that tomorrow.

While waiting on that tasty post, my wonderful friend over at Life's Journeys emailed me one of these little surveys today. I just love these things and figured instead of emailing it to everyone, I can just answer all the questions here.

1. What is your occupation? Technically, I am a public relations account executive, a law firm recruiter, a real estate agent and an elementary school teacher. Officially, I am a mother.
2. What color are your socks right now? White
3. What are you listening to right now? J watching the news.
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Fat free chocolate pudding.
5. Can you drive a stick shift? No way.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? This is such a tricky little question. I feel like I could fit into so many colors. I think I will go with Pink. I am warm and fuzzy, girly, sensitive, sweet, generally happy and just glow. Of course these descriptions are all self-proclaimed, none have been proven. Can you tell I have way too much time to think??
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? BFF Ashley
8. How old are you today? 31
9. Favorite drink? Iced Tea with Sweet and Low or a Dr. Pepper
10. What is your favorite sport to watch? I like Ice Dancing, Pair Figure Skating, national cheerleading competitions and ballroom dancing. I guess you can just call me a true "sports nut."
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? I have highlighted it in a previous life when we had more of an income. I love it highlighted and can't wait to start again; however, by then I might be so old that I will just have to do a full color to hide all the gray.
12. Pets? A fish named FiFi
13. What is your favorite Food? Where do I start? Hamburgers, pizza, pasta, cheese, chocolate, cupcakes, cookies, marshmallows......
14. Last movie you watched? Juno
15. Favorite Day of the year? Christmas Eve
16. What do you do to vent anger? Yell at my husband (isn't that what everyone does??)
17. What was your favorite toy as a child? I loved paper dolls and books. I was a nerd. As I got older I also went through a Nintendo phase. I would play Super Mario, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and John Madden's Football. You could say I was a diverse child.
18. What is your favorite season? Fall
19. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
20. Cherry or Blueberry? Cherry
21. When was the last time you cried? Last Tuesday after we had the Mardi Gras Mayhem (see post below).
22. What is on the floor of your closet? A few shoes and a laundry basket. I keep it as limited as possible. I hate clutter.
23. Favorite smells? I love the smell of a clean baby. I also melt at the scent of something sweet baking in the oven.
24. Who inspires you? My kids inspire me to constantly be a better person.
25. What are you afraid of? The question should be "What am I NOT afraid of?"
26. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheese with mustard, onions, pickles and maybe a tomato.
27. Dream car? Lexus SUV, GX470 in silver with GPS and two DVD players.
28. Favorite cat breed? I hate cats. No offense to cat lovers. I am allergic to them and as a child we had a cat named Cinnamon who was seriously evil. She ruined any hope of me liking cats.
29. Number of keys on your key ring? 2
30. How many years at your current job? I have been a stay-at-homer for almost 5 years. That is a scary thought. I have done this longer than I have any other job.
31. Favorite day of the week? Any day I have help with the kids.
32. How many states have you lived in? 2 - Texas for most of my life and briefly in Colorado as a child. I just realized the number of states I live in correspond with the number of keys on my key ring, is that eerie or what!!!???
33. Do you think you're funny? Of course. Doesn't everyone think they are funny? I think the problem comes in when other people don't think you are funny.

Now, I want to hear more about you. You can either blog the questions or email me. I look forward to reading everyone's answers.

Week in Review

2008-02-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all who commented on my "favorite housecleaning items" post. I love reading your suggestions and can't wait to try them. Even though the moment has passed you are still encouraged to go back and leave me your favorite cleaning item. Now onto our week in review.

What was good this week.......

Landen sleeping in until about 8 or 8:30 (yes, he still goes to bed at 7:00) and taking a two hour nap.
A pending end to the writer's strike.
Another great episode of Lost.
Lots of magazines in the mail.
A new trip to plan and look forward to in March.
Some really great weather days.
A wonderful dinner with our good friends, the H's, on Saturday night. They just recently moved back to our great land after living far, far away for many years. It was so great to have them back and have all of our kids play together.
A great dinner Friday night with good friends and good Mexican food, what more could you ask for?
The kids having a great time at a Chuck E. Cheese playdate with their friend Morgan. Landen has not stopped chanting "Chucky, Chucky, Chucky" since Saturday. He loves that big rat.
A really great birthday party today for our friend, Ian, who turned three. It was at Kiddin' Around Playcare and was a perfect party place. The kids had free rein of the entire place while I got to sit and actually talk to other adults.
A yummy meal at Dickey's tonight, topped off with a Dr. Pepper, after being so good on my diet all week.

What was bad....

I will be honest most of the week was pretty rough. Landen had his injury and to top it off was extremely grouchy all week. I think his big, back molars are on the move again. Everything was a struggle. At one point, I was at a store and fighting him to sit down in a cart when an older lady actually walked up to us and started yelling at Landen to "Sit down in the cart, stop being so hard on your mommy." She must have thought I looked so desperate that I needed some help. I actually did feel pretty desperate but I am never so desperate I want random people yelling at my kid. Regardless, I found myself on the edge all week and not at my best in dealing with the kids. Frustration brings out the worst in me and no one knows how to push that button better than my kids.
My spellchecker on my blogger not working. I pride myself on being a good speller, but I am not that good. So, ignore any mistakes. If it makes you feel better print out a copy of my posts and use your red marker to correct them. That's what I do when I read other people's blogs (just kidding.....maybe).
Not being able to sleep. I am so glad Landen has been sleeping in because I have not been able to fall asleep each night until after 1:00 am.

Fossil

2008-02-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

It is not every day you get to see a fossil up close and personal, so I felt quite honored when I had the opportunity to view one recently.

You may be asking yourself how a simple little bottle could be classified as a fossil. Oh, what little you know! Landen has been off the bottle since last May. That would be approximately 8 months ago for you non-math types. We found this bottle a mere few days ago. It was hiding in the back corner under the twin bed in Landen's room. We never use the bed, so there has never been any reason for me to move it. Also, remember that Landen got off the bottle 8 months ago but that doesn't mean that is how old the bottle is. It could be MUCH, MUCH older. So, in case you were ever curious as to what happens to formula after it has been sitting out for a long time, here is your answer.

Mardi Gras Mayhem

2008-02-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

We really like to celebrate things in a big way around here so Fat Tuesday was no exception. The kids' school had a Mardi Gras pancake dinner and since it was our weekly neighbor dinner night we decided it would be a fun thing to do. Knowing I had yummy pancakes waiting for me, I ate super light all day.

As we arrived, Jessie and the kids got their food right away while I bustled about getting our table reserved, filling drinks and other little mealtime necessities. My time finally came and as I sniffed in the fine aromas of freshly flipped pancakes I noticed that the person in front of me had taken the last ones. So, I waited. And I waited some more. I stood patiently eyeing the little discs of fluffiness knowing they would soon be mine. The wait continued. Then there was a little more waiting. Finally, they were ready! I eagerly grabbed two delightful pancakes and even added some strawberries and whipped topping. My stomach roared with anticipation. I sat down and poured the silky syrup on top. My fork melted into the cake and I took one heavenly bite. Just as the tastiness hits my tongue, I hear a scream.

Is it my mind screaming in ecstasy as I finally get to eat something of substance? I turn my head scanning the crowd for the culprit. It is then I spot him. My son. The one who just got his splint off of his finger. The one who was just in the ER a mere three weeks ago. This time it is his face covered in blood. In fact, all I see on his face is blood and Jessie running out of the room with him. I panic and run after him. In the bathroom blood is literally squirting out from above his eye. I lose it. The mere thought of watching him go through all that pain and suffering again makes me go ballistic. I couldn't focus on anything and I felt like the room was spinning.

Thankfully, I had all my wonderful neighbors there. They stood by me and offered to watch Ashley while we took Landen to the doctor. With the ER trauma so fresh in my mind, I decided we would try a different place. I called A Cute Kids Urgent Care and they said they would probably be able to help him. We walked right in and less than 30 minutes later we walked out. That place is a true miracle! Tell everyone about it! Click on the link above and check it out if you live nearby. We were done so quickly that the neighbors were still at the pancake dinner. To make a long story short, I guess my title for this blog is right on the money. Thank goodness, someone is going to be a doctor around here. Here is a picture of our new "boo-boo." Luckily, this time we didn't have to get stitches, the doctor used the skin glue. In case you were worried, I did get to eat pancakes. I was so determined to have pancakes I microwaved some frozen ones at home. Needless to say, they weren't the same.

FYI - I didn't mention it in the story above because I didn't see it happen, but this injury happened when Landen was running towards Jessie and tripped. He happened to land on the corner of a metal chair. He is really lucky like that and obviously has inherited my clumsy gene.

A few of my favorite things.....

2008-02-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! As I have been knee deep in heavy cleaning these past few days, I thought it might be a good time to share some of my favorite "household" items. Maybe favorite isn't the right word, essential, might be more appropriate.

1. Kaboom Never Scrub toilet cleaner

When I first heard about this item, I thought for sure it was too good to be true but I had a coupon. Now, several months later I don't know how I live without it. I swear this is the best housecleaning item I own. I have not had to scrub my toilet bowl since I have owned it - for real! Any of you living with a man will know what a valuable asset this is. I have even considered building a shrine to pay daily homage it, that is how much I love it.

2. Swiffer Sweeper Wet

With mainly hardwood floors and tile in my house, I would have lost an arm with all the mopping I would have done without this. I have owned this for a long time and it continues to serve me well, especially with two little animals (sorry, I mean kids) that manage to make messes I never thought possible. So, instead of hauling the mop, bucket and water around I just whip out my littler swiffer stick and wet pads, do a quick sweep and I am no longer stuck to that glob of unknown sticky stuff on the floor.

3. Lysol Disinfectant Wipes

I will admit it, I am super cheap, at least when it comes to household shopping. So, this item was a hard one for me to buy initially. I thought I could just as easily wipe something down with my Lysol disinfectant spray and a paper towel. Oh how wrong I was. Again, a coupon encouraged me to venture into new territory with this gem. Of course it comes in super handy when I need to wipe the kids table down quickly or wipe the bathroom down before people come over, but it was a certain incident that really sealed the deal. Let's just say it involved a little boy, a bathroom, a missed potty and some MAJOR bacterial issues. A story for another time.

4. Dirt Devil Hand Vacuum

I think most people have a handheld vacuum but I can not have a "favorite" post and leave it out. Honestly, I don't think I would have survived these past five years without it. My dirt devil has never gone hungry, it has had a steady diet of cheerios and goldfish since we brought it home. I will also admit that I don't even know how to use a dust pan. I sweep then vacuum my little piles. It is such a feeling of accomplishment to see all that dirt sucked up in one little swoop.

5. Coffee Maker (any model)

If you are a fellow mom, enough said.

Now it is your turn - let me know what a favorite is of yours. I can use all the help I can get around here!

Something New

The following is a new feature, "What am I doing?" I will share what I am reading, watching, listening to and clicking on for the upcoming week. Please use this information wisely.

What am I clicking this week?

My friend Amanda over at Those Dandy Dillards shared a favorite site of hers and I thought it was such a great idea I am going to do the same. Her first one on Google Reader is a must have, so make sure and read it. As for my click it is very useless. If you don't know, I am obsessed with celebrity gossip. At one point before our starving student days I subscribed to US Weekly, Star and People each week. I just get US now, so to keep up with all the news I read several sites to keep me informed. One of my favorites is Celebrity Baby Blog. It has really great posts about celebrity moms and moms to be. They have great interviews, pictures and info on must have baby products.

What am I reading this week?

Nothing. It is a little sad but I haven't gotten into a book lately. I still have my First magazine to read and hopefully more will start coming in the next week. I do have some things on my nightstand but have been too busy to start any of them. Hopefully next week I will have something better for you.

What am I watching this week?

Another new episode of Lost comes on Thursday, but other than that the schedule is bare. This writer's strike is killing me. I have even stopped watching Days of our Lives because the scab writers are writing off my favorite couple. I read today that a resolution is coming soon, please let it be true!!!

What am I listening to this week?

Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield. This song has been the most requested song lately by Jessie's little girl around here. I am not joking, she loves this song and asks for it by name every time we get in the car.

Let's Dance!

2008-02-02T21:03:00.000-08:00

I am sorry I have been absent from posting these past few days. I have had the premiere of Lost (which was incredible), my monthly deep clean and Sunday School teaching preparation. I promise I will be back in the swing of things soon. In the meantime, here are some pics to tide you over. Jessie took Ashley to the Daddy Daughter Sweetheart Dance tonight. It is the first year she has been old enough to attend. Ashley has been eagerly anticipating it all week.

Before the dance Ashley got to pick out the restaurant for dinner and she chose Jason's Deli. Obviously we Dickens live large. I wanted Jason's Deli too, so I invited myself and Landen to accompany them. Once the duo got their boogie shoes on, they headed to the ball where Jessie said the first thing Ashley did was exclaim - "LET'S DANCE!" and pulled her dancing partner out on the floor. They continued to cut some rug for the next two hours straight. Jessie informed me they didn't stop except for a brief cookie break. It makes me sad I wasn't there to see it all but Jessie assured me that Ashley was thinking about me. At one point she said "I wish Mommy were here to see all of this." I sure wish I were too. I guess there is always the mother and son dance one day.....

Here are the pink flowers Ashley received before she left.

A good looking pair of dancers.

The Dancing Queen showing off her moves

FAQ's

2008-01-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight is a HUGE night and I can barely contain my excitement. I have the "enhanced" version of last season's finale of Lost, the second episode of Gossip Girl and a new magazine in the mail (one of my 12 I subscribe too). Life doesn't get better than this. You may be wondering why I care about two shows that I have already seen, but with the writer's strike I have been having major withdrawal symptoms from good tv and those are my favorite shows. Tomorrow night is even bigger with the season premiere of Lost, so tonight is just getting me more pumped up for an even bigger night. If you are not a follower of either show, it is time to get in the game and enjoy tv at its best.

After getting the excitement out of my system, I am ready to move onto today's topic - Frequently Asked Questions. In case you don't know, after 8 years of working as a electrical engineer (and a master's degree), my hubby decided to leave his career and start medical school. Since we have started on this new journey I have received many, many questions regarding our situation. So, here are the most frequently asked questions and the answers to put everyone's mind at ease.

1. How did Jessie ever come up with the idea to go to medical school?

I really don't know. I have always told him he was smart enough to be a doctor, and he was hating his job and engineering in general. He said it wasn't challenging enough - which I totally sympathized with since everyone knows how easy electrical engineering is. His youngest brother had always wanted to go to medical school too, so Jessie started asking questions and thinking about it. He then decided to find out what pre-reqs he needed and started taking classes at night to find out if he would like them. Obviously, he liked them.

2. How were you ok with him leaving his stable, good paying job?

When the idea first started Ashley was still really young and it never really occurred to me that it might actually happen. He has expressed lots of interests and ideas through the years, so originally I thought it was just another passing thought. Then, the next thing I know he likes his classes. The next thing I know he has taken the MCAT and scored in the top 1% of all test takers in the nation. This was a huge sign for me. It was obvious to me that he had a true aptitude for the material. The final sign was when he had been accepted to UT Southwestern, which is exactly what we wanted to happen. So, really God determined that this was the right path. Everything fell into place. As for supporting the final decision, it was easy. Life is too short to spend so much time at a job you hate. Every day he would come home and complain and that made me feel bad for him and also feel guilty since he was having to work to support me and Ashley (we only had her at the time). I definitely did not want to stand in the way of something that was obviously meant to be. I told him we would make it work, and we have.

3. How long does medical school take and how much longer does he have?

A VERY long time. School itself is four years. Jessie is in the second half of his second year. This is the last year of the really hardcore academic stuff and the next two years are spent rotating in various specialties. This year and next year are the hardest years. After school, is residency. He will make a salary at this time, but it will be similar to school. Residencies last anywhere from 3-7 years depending on the specialty.

4. Has he decided on a specialty?

He changes his mind all the time but is leaning towards something in surgery. He also likes radiology. This summer he did a radiation oncology internship and did some amazing things. He probably won't decide until next year.

5. What is his schedule like? How does it affect family time?

The first semester was very tough. He had classes and labs that required him to be gone all day and study at night. I had a hard time adjusting, especially with two little kids. Since then, things have become a lot easier. He has a super flexible schedule, so that is really nice. He can watch most lectures online. He does that a lot which allows him to stay closer to home and see us more. The hardest times are right before tests. He will be gone all day and night most of those weeks so he can be prepared. The hardest thing about this year is there is a test every two to three weeks. So, we will have a good week (this week) then a week or two of harder times. One of the best perks is the vacation. He got three weeks at Christmas and will get two weeks at Spring Break. These vacations end with third year though when he will be working all the time at the hospital. I am not looking forward to that.

6. What do you do for health insurance?

We use private health insurance. It is expensive and absolutely horrible insurance, but if we have an emergency it will be good. With two little kids we end up spending a ton of money on medical stuff.

7. How do you live??? How do you pay for things? Why do you not work when you have no income?

These are the most popular questions, and a lot of people feel bad for asking. It doesn't offend me, I would want to know too. After working for 8 years, we had money saved, so we use that money (basically we have retired early!). We also qualify for some grants and loans and take as much as we are allowed. However, our goal is to graduate with zero or very little debt.

I don't work because financially it doesn't make sense. We sat down and figured out all of our expenses on a teacher's salary and I would actually bring home very little money. For a few hundred dollars a month, it is just not worth it to me. I would much rather be with my kids. I might have to go back to work at some point but I am finallyt at peace with the idea that I am meant to stay at home. It was a hard thing to come to terms with. I worked extremely hard during school to make top grades as I envisioned myself being some big time corporate executive one day. But now, I realize I am where I need to be. And if nothing else, I can be considered the CEO around here.

I hope that answers any questions you may have. Feel free to email me if you have any more. The bottom line is - follow your dreams and your heart, it is really worth it. It has been for Jessie and me too. He gets to do something that is rewarding and exciting to him and I get to see someone I love be happy.

Finally, here is a picture of the day Jessie got his white coat - it was very exciting. If we are having a hard day, I like to look at it and be reminded of how handsome he looks as a "doctor" and I definitely know the decision is worth it!:-)

Sad Day

2008-01-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

Today my BFF Ashley (I always designate her as BFF since we also have a little Ashley around here too) left to go home. She has been here for two months and I have really loved having her and Landen's BFF Jackson around. As you get older you realize how important good girlfriends are. Through the years I know I have often neglected friends for some guy and I now know how stupid that was. Of course hindsight is 20/20 but I really wish I could go back and spend more time with some of my friends that I don't get to see anymore. Now, we are scattered around the country and have families of our own so time is very limited.

There is nothing like a good friend, one to laugh with you, cry with you and most importantly vent frustrations with you. Ashley is just that kind of friend. Just in these two months we have run the spectrum of emotions as I cried with her at her beloved GiGi's funeral and also laughed as we watched our boys play together. I can only hope that our boys will grow up to be the kind of friends we are.

I don't know about other stay at home mothers, but I get very lonely. It is hard to believe when you have two kids crawling all over you all day that you can feel such loneliness but I do. We stay very busy with various activities but I still feel isolated. I attribute it to the fact that I don't engage in one on one adult conversation very often and my main source of connection to other people is the tv and internet. I have been fortunate to meet some wonderful neighbors that have made me feel a little more connected but the reality is, it is just not possible to totally eliminate my feelings. That is where Ashley came in these past couple of months. We have always had such a deep connection, she knows my thoughts before I do. So, having her here made me feel not so lonely during my weekdays. I always knew I would be seeing her in a couple of days and that would make me smile. I will miss her terribly.

Here is a picture of the newest generation of BFF"S.

A Special Fish

2008-01-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do in this world is go to a wedding. Nothing excites me more than an evening of drinking, dinner and dancing all for free. Last night I got to indulge in my favorite pastime and went to my BFF Ashley's mom's wedding. Ashley had planned most of the wedding and had decorated everything. It was beautiful, she did an amazing job. It took place in a gazebo overlooking a lake just as the sun had set. Christmas lights were strung everywhere and tiki torches lit the path. It was outside, but you didn't even notice the cold weather because it was so serene. Afterwards, we went inside for hot chocolate, dinner and of course cake. As the dance floor heated up there was even some really awesome dancers strutting some funky moves (oh wait that was Ashley and me). What more could you ask for?

Even as a child I loved weddings. As young as 1st grade I would have my mom buy wedding magazines and I would cut out pictures of wedding items and collect them in a book. I called it "My Wedding Album" - I know, I have always had a knack with creative titles. Back then my taste leaned a little more towards the Civil War era as most of my gowns sported big hoop skirts and large, floppy hats with enormous bows. Some might call this behavior a little odd, but I prefer to call myself "gifted" in the ways of wedding coordination. Beethoven had his piano, I had my wedding knowledge. As I got older my fascination with weddings did not end. I only made my dreams bigger. I even had a subscription to Modern Bride for many years - LONG before I even had a engagement ring.

So, all this talk of weddings got me thinking about what it is that I love so much about weddings. Could it be all the love in the air or the vision of happily ever after? I did mention the free dinner, dancing and drinks, but I think it is more than that. Since my first grade wedding album I have had the pleasure of going to numerous weddings and even having the honor of being in the wedding party of several. At one point, we literally had a wedding if not two or three to attend every weekend. It was great! At all of these weddings the memories of the ceremony and reception are kind of a blur but what I always remember the most are the times outside of these events, like the rehearsal dinner, or going out for the after party. The wedding itself is only part of the equation, the real event is everything but the wedding.

Many people will probably disagree with me and trust me I am not saying the ceremony and reception are not important (trust me I spent enough on mine that it better be important). But, when I look back on our wedding weekend what I remember most is the day before the wedding. I woke up sick with worry and my closest friends Darby and Kristen took me to the mall for an Aquamassage, oh yes, we went all out. Then we had my bridal luncheon in our very own private room at Maggiano's where I could look out and see all the most special women in my life all in one place. Afterwards, we continued the party at Elizabeth Arden getting our nails done. That night, after the rehearsal and dinner everyone gathered at a friend's apartment where we had a huge party. Everyone was relaxed and I even had time to sit down unlike my real reception. So, when I think of weddings I do enjoy attending the wedding itself but I really love everything else even more. I wish I had really thought about all of this before I spent so much time worrying about every little detail of my wedding. If people only knew the stress and anxiety I had leading up to the big day, everyone would vote to have me committed to an institution right away. In the end no one remembers what they ate, or what my flowers looked like, they remember all the fun we had spending time with each other.

You are probably asking yourself where the fish factors into a discussion on weddings. Well, my party favor from the wedding is a new fish. BFF Ashley had put Beta fish in all the flower vases, sixteen to be exact! Little Ashley has been wanting a new pet fish ever since we killed her last ones, so we gladly took one. FiFi, is now resting peacefully in her bowl. May she live longer than the three days Bella and Madeline lived.

Hamburgers and Snow Boots

2008-01-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

I normally don't get to see movies at a real movie theater (for you other moms a movie theater is a big place where they show first run movies and usually you can go there on a date or with other friends minus children). So, it was a treat to go see Juno with my friend Ellen a couple of weeks ago. I heard good things about it and it did not disappoint. It had the three elements I consider to be essential to a quality movie experience: good writing, good acting and good music. Now, I will say good music goes a long way with me. I will often enjoy a movie that has good music even if the other two elements are missing. Almost Famous is an example of that. Anyway, I thought all the top elements were in Juno, so that is saying a lot.

One of my favorite scenes takes place at the beginning of the movie. Juno (the teenage girl) is calling an abortion clinic to schedule an abortion. I hope this doesn't spoil the movie for you, even if you haven't seen it, I assume the picture of a pregnant girl gives the main idea away. When she calls the abortion clinic she is calling in her room on her Hamburger phone. Now, i am not trying to make light of abortion, that is a whole can of worms in itself, but in this scene it isn't necessarily about the abortion but the fact that a person is having such a serious discussion on their silly, childhood phone. Of course, the actress, Ellen Page, is absolutely brilliant and her conversation is hilarious too.

The reason this scene struck me was that as a mom I kind of feel the same way sometimes - talking "grown-up" talk while still using my hamburger phone. I know I am 31 and often physically feel even older than that, but mentally I still feel like I should be 16. I look at my kids sometimes and think - "this is sure one long babysitting gig, when are their parents going to come and get them." It is just so hard to believe I am the one responsible for everything about them - what they eat, their safety, their education, their morals, and basically everything about their entire well-being. I don't know about you other moms but I feel pretty incompetent when it comes to thinking I can handle all of that. Like Juno in the movie I am having to make a bunch of big decisions but am a little out of my league. I keep looking around for someone else to tell me what to do.

So, with all these thoughts of phones I can't help but remember my first "cool" phone I got for my bedroom. I was in junior high and spotted what I considered to be the most awesomest, raddest phone ever in Spencer Gifts at the mall (by the way, awesomest and raddest were real words in junior high). At this point those of you who are familiar with Spencer's know all about the high class merchandise that can be found here. Those of you not familiar will just have to imagine a very elegant store that had tons of neon lights, beer signs, trashy posters, whoopie cushions, and even the occasional vibrating penis gag gift. Yes, we are talking the finest of the fine gift shops in Midland. Anyway, this phone was bright red and actually lit up with bright red neon whenever the phone rang or whenever you talked. Now, at the time I didn't think I could dare to dream of such coolness but lo and behold my sweet dad got it for me for Christmas. Woo-Hoo!!! I was set to talk and talk I did. I got that phone and don't think I got off of it until I went away to college. It turned out to be especially handy when I started getting those late night calls - ladies you know the ones I am talking about. I would go and turn all the other phones on silent very sneakily and wait for my phone to light up. So, maybe you see why I really liked that scene in Juno. Phones have always been important to me. It makes me sad I can't talk as much as I used to because certain kids make it harder, but every once in awhile I still like to sneak off where no one can see me, and just talk away. After all I still feel like I should be that same teenager talking on their red, neon phone.

A Daily Dickens

In case you haven't noticed I like to use subheadings. As a journalism major we had to do this sometimes and they just stuck with me. Anyway, this will be a recurring sub-section where I will describe what we did in a particular day. By no means will I do this every day but if you see the heading be forewarned you are about to hear such excitement you might not be able to contain yourself.

On to our day. We had a pleasant day. This morning we went to our friend Amanda's house for a kid/mommy playdate. It was so much fun. The kids made crowns and Ashley and Landen both wore their pink ones with pride. The mommies made little bag tags for the kids. I loved it! They turned out so cute. Some of you might be getting them on birthday gifts in the future. Thank you Amanda for a really great time! Jessie had a test today so afterwards he was home the rest of the day getting ready for his big ski trip this weekend. He is going to Breckenridge with a high school friend. We unpacked a ton of ski stuff we hadn't seen in years and I found my pair of bright white ski boots. I don't remember buying these, but I think my rationale at the time was that white matched the snow. Now I look at them and think I look like the abominable snowman. They sure are warm and cozy though. Landen insisted I put them on, so I did, and five hours later I am still wearing them. Some people have Uggs, I have my bright white snow boots.

*Since everyone is still getting used to my writing and blog please note that like I am in person, my humor in my blog will be sarcastic at times. Please don't ever be offended at anything I write, especially about such hot button topics as abortion and abominable snowmen:)

My One Day

2008-01-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: This will be the last serious post for awhile. I hate starting one of my first posts on a more somber note but to ignore today's date would be ignoring an important part of me. This post is also very personal and it is taking a lot of courage to share some of these things, but isn't writing supposed to be therapeutic?? I will let you know if it is.......

Everyone has that one day, the one that changes everything. I am not talking about a day that may change your lifestyle, but a day that rocks your inner core and makes you question everything about yourself, everyone around you and everything in the world. My one day was today, January 24th, 2002.

Most of you probably know that I lost my father on this day, 6 years ago, it was a Thursday too. I remember because I had Friends on in the background (oh the good ol' days when we had our Must See Thursday Night TV!). Sometimes I feel like all I do is drop references to this day, but it was so defining to me as a person that it is intertwined with everything I am today. Some might say this is because I am still having trouble moving on. I think I can finally say that I actually have moved on. I have accepted what as happened - one of those "stages" of grief we learn about it in psychology. In fact, I am proud to report that this is the first year that I didn't dwell upon the approaching date with anxiety, I actually even forgot about it until a couple of days ago. Then, I realized I didn't want to forget about it so easily. It is important I remember because it defines who I am. So, I want to reflect on a few things leading up to that day because it is important I remember when I grew up. I know some of you might question some of these things because they are a little strange, but I have never thought of them as weird. I think our mind and spirit prepares us for dramatic changes and God knows what we need when we need it.

Jessie and I had been planning our wedding that fall of 2001, when I had a dream one night. I have lots of crazy dreams but usually forget them the second I wake up. It was me on my wedding day waiting in a church lobby and I remember asking everyone where my dad was. No one knew. I kept asking and asking, getting more worried by the second. Finally, he appeared out of nowhere. I felt relief and asked him if everything looked ok. He replied. "Everything is so beautiful but all the flowers are dead." At that instant I woke up in a panic and started praying that my dad would make it alive to my wedding. There was absolutely nothing to lead me to this thought. My dad was the healthiest he had ever been. He rode in a 150 mile bike marathon a couple of months before, played racquetball and golfed several times a week. There was no indication of any health problems. Even to this day that dream is as vivid as it was that night I had it.

I put the dream and the crazy thoughts out of mind, after all I was planning a wedding. Then Christmas came and I remember having the thought pop up that I absolutely needed to spend Christmas in Midland. For most people going home to their family is a normal part of Christmas but for me with divorced parents I spent the holidays everywhere. It was rare I was in Midland and with my dad on Christmas Day, but I was adamant that year. Thankfully, my instincts were right. We had a wonderful Christmas that year, the last one I would ever spend with him.

Two days before his death my dad called me. We talked about once or twice a week but this call was a little out of the ordinary. It wasn't on our usual day of Friday and I had just talked to him on Sunday. So, I was little surprised to talk to him. I was in the middle of bringing groceries in the house but for some reason I stopped what I was doing and just sat there. Our conversations were usually brief. We said what we had to say, made a few jokes and hung up. That day I didn't want to get off the phone. I made excuses to keep talking. It was my dad who finally told me he had to go, which was very unusual since I was always the one in a hurry. We talked about some more RSVP's that had come in, he was keeping track of them and was always so excited to tell me the updated list. At this point in the conversation. I said, "It is going to be a great day since you will finally be free of me and won't have to pay for me anymore." He instantly replied "You will always be my baby girl no matter what." It was an odd moment, something he normally would never have said and I remember a long, silent pause before we said our goodbyes. Those were some of the last words I heard him say.

That Thursday I had lunch with a friend at Souper Salad (I wasn't working at this time) and decided to go shopping for something to wear to my planned bachelorette party in Austin that Saturday. I went to the mall and walked into Foley's. Suddenly I had a major panic attack. I felt like I couldn't walk around the store because I couldn't concentrate or breathe. I have never had a panic attack before or since. It felt as though I was suffocating in that store so I had to walk right back out and go home. I calmed down a little but still had a very high level of anxiety the rest of the afternoon. I felt very restless and agitated.

That night I was making dinner and around 6:20 I felt a sudden wave of sadness. It was so all consuming that I went and laid down in the middle of making dinner. It was dark and I knew rolls were burning in the oven but I couldn't get up. A few minutes later the phone rang and I was too scared to answer it. The caller id said "unknown" I let it go to the machine. Jessie made me get up to eat dinner, but all I could do was sit there and stare at my food. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Again, the phone rang and I was frozen. We didn't answer it.

A little after 7 I turned on Friends while Jessie cleaned the kitchen. The phone rang again and Jessie answered it. Immediately, I felt that anxiety rising in my throat. Jessie only said hello and nothing more and I noticed he was crying. In my heart I knew, but I went into denial instantly. Jessie hung up, turned off the tv and sat me down on the couch. I knew. Jessie told me my dad had a heart attack. I instantly burst out "Is he dead?" I knew. He shook his head yes. That denial is a sneaky "stage" though and I started screaming "You are lying." I knew he wasn't. Later I found out that my dad had a heart attack in the middle of a racquetball game and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital at 6:24.

It is weird what the body does in a time of distress. Some people go into automatic overdrive and start taking control of the situation, some shut down, some just cry, I ran. I don't know why, but my first instinct was to run as fast as I could. I ran and was stopped by a wall. A literal wall, not a figurative one! I ran into a wall and tried to break through. Then I collapsed crying and continued to cry for days on end. I don't even know how many days it was, it felt like years.

There were so many wonderful people in those days, and I am sorry I never really thanked all of you. My mind was a blur. I couldn't think, I couldn't function. I still can't remember a lot about those days. As my father's sole survivor, I was in charge of everything, planning the funeral, going through his estate stuff, you name it, I did it. I don't know how I did it, since I don't remember but I know I didn't do it alone, so thank you to everyone who stood me up. People sent beautiful arrangements, people made delicious food, some people made donations to my dad's favorite charity, Habitat for Humanity and some people were just there. Many friends flew in to be there for me that day and I will never be able to repay you. I know I couldn't show you at the time, but I couldn't have made it without you. Thank you notes never got written like I wanted because my wedding was only 6 weeks away so in the midst of trying to carry that through and do all of my dad's stuff I just never did them. I have always felt so guilty about that. So, you know who you are, thank you!

Transformation does not come easy, but looking back I am glad I am different. I have learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of doing. Of course, if I had a say I would have never let this happen. I was extremely close to my dad. One day I will post more about him as a person, and I am sure I will bring up more details about this experience since it was so important to me. This one day wasn't really about him though. I know that might sound self-centered but he was done with what he had to do here, I was just beginning.

To end this serious post on a lighter note I want to share one of my favorite songs. Just so you know, I have a new favorite song every week, but this is it this week. I also think the title is very appropriate for my mood this week. It is called "I Feel it All" by Feist. Her music will not be everyone's taste but I wanted to share. Listen to at least half of it before you make up your mind. My favorite line is "I know more than I knew before."

"And the Mother of the Year Award goes to........."

2008-01-23T18:31:00.000-08:00

We are barely out of January and I can already claim the title. A week and a half ago I was in the laundry room and the kids were sitting outside of the door. They are always trying to get in the room and mess with stuff so I had shut the door to keep them out. As I opened the door to get out, Ashley was right in front of me and Landen was sitting to the left on the hinge side. I was trying to move Ashley out of my way and shut the door at the same time. Apparently, curiosity struck Landen and he stuck his right index finger in the crack of the door where the hinges are just as I slammed it shut.

I looked down and saw that Landen was just frozen and not making any sound. I was confused at first and quickly realized that his finger disappeared into the door. I panicked and flew open the door. I picked him up and rushed to find Jessie. As I got to Jessie he asked - "Is he bleeding?' I then looked down and saw that there was blood all over me and his finger was gushing. I almost passed out and literally fell apart. I started crying. Then, Landen realizing his pain started screaming too.

He screamed like he has never screamed before and we couldn't get the bleeding to stop. So, finally Jessie agreed we needed to take him to the ER. There we had to wait forever. Landen actually stopped crying and was really good at the hospital, until the stitches. His finger was broken and it was cut all the way to the bone. They had to take off his fingernail and do stitches. This required Landen to be put in a strait jacket and receive tons of painful shots in his hand while we all held him down. It was excruciating. The procedure lasted at least an hour. Landen was crying so hard you could see the blood vessals burst in his face. Finally, he just passed out in exhaustion.

Here we are a week and a half later and he got his stitches out today. It went much better this time around. He will have to wear his splint for a couple more weeks, but has really adjusted well considering it is his right hand. Of course he doesn't like it being messed with, so cleaning it has been a hassle. I know this was an accident but it kills me everyday to know I am the one that caused his pain. The list of my "mommy guilt" just gets longer by the day.

New Year, New Blog

2008-01-22T18:54:00.000-08:00

Why Write a Blog?

I always hated math, I never liked science. and athletics certainly isn't one of my strong suits. So, what does that leave? For many years I couldn't figure out what I was interested in. Then, in the ninth grade I won my first big prize, the PTA's West Texas Regional Arts and Literature writing contest. I wrote a fictional story about a teenage girl's dying mother (hardly light material). I don't even know where this story is anymore but at the time it became the most important piece of paper I had ever owned. Finally, I was onto something! When I was asked to read the story to a big group, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I consider it to be one of the best days of my life.

So, here we are 15 years later and I still love writing but don't write. Yes, I was a Journalism major at A&M and worked in public relations for a couple of years, but that doesn't really count because I was never writing for myself. I have started a few journals, but I quickly get bored because my thoughts come quicker than my pen can write. Now, I find that my writing doesn't come hardly at all. Completing an email is even sometimes a challenge. My "mommy" brain has just about drained my mind and all that goes with it, so what better way to hopefully bring back something I love -a blog. Most importantly, what better way to spend some time really thinking about myself and now the current writers' strike has left a huge hole in my nightly schedule!:-)

What the heck is that silly title about?

For a long time I have been reading several friends' blogs every day ( I will post links as soon as I figure it out). They have all inspired me to do one of my own but I held off for a long time for one simple reason - I couldn't think of a title. This may seem trivial to many people but for me it has always been a real problem. Even going back to the very first essay I did, I remember fretting over the stupid title forever before I ever wrote a word. It is a real sickness, I dare say there might even be a name for it. There was never a paper I could write without a title. Maybe it gives me direction, maybe I am just a control freak. Whatever the reason, I couldn't think of a title for this blog so I stalled. Finally, it hit me this past week after I broke my precious little baby boy's finger in the door (story for another post if you don't already know it). He loves going around showing everyone his "boo, boo." Of course it is really MY BIG boo boo that he even has the broken figure. So, I started thinking how life is really just a bunch a mistakes and "boo boos"that we learn from (at least for me). What keeps me going are the little things that are so sweet and so wonderful like Bon Bons! Tasty little, chocolate covered morsels of heaven. In my mind there is no better way to sum up my life - Bon Bons and Boo Boos.

What will I write about?

Good question, I have no idea. I am thinking I will write about our daily life, give thoughts on books I read, movies and tv shows. I might throw in some juicy little tidbits about my life in general, like the UFO I saw or the ghost. You just never know what secret I am capable of spilling. Whatever I will be writing, hopefully you will leave comments sometimes and send me the occasional email, because I love hearing from everyone. So, let's get started - welcome to my blog. May your life seem a little more sane after reading about mine!:-)